More Christmas pics and Red Velvet Cake

I hope all of you have had a wonderful and blessed Christmas. Ours has been full of food, family and fun. I just wanted to invite you into my home once more and this time I'll give ya a slice of cake ;-) Enjoy!


This is my dining room.....we never ate off the Christmas dishes this year!


Master Bathroom


Now for the Red Velvet Cake. What I've learned over the years is that most people have a love/hate relationship with this cake. They either LOVE it or they HATE it. My 5 year old daughter is on the love end of this relationship...as well as myself!

7-layer Red Velvet Cake
(Paula Deen)

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup whole buttermilk (I can never find whole b-milk, so I use fat free)
2 large eggs
1 (1oz) bottle red food coloring
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup butter, softened
1 (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Beat in oil, buttermilk, and eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Pour 3/4 cup of cake batter into each cake pan, turning to distribute evenly. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
Wash and dry pans; repeat procedure with remaining batter until all layers are baked. Spread cream cheese frosting evenly between layers and on top and sides of cake.
For the icing: In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

My home at Christmas

What a busy few weeks its been!!! With working, school functions, shopping, decorating, and then getting sick...I've been swamped. I did manage to get some pictures taken this evening of some of my decorations. I did not get my bathroom...because of all the laundry sorted on the floor! The Red Velvet Cake is in the oven and I'll post on that tomorrow! Merry Christmas!


Our Christmas tree and garland on the stair-rail


The Mantel (with dirty mirror above)


Beautiful lighted block on the end table


A little snowman complete with a shovel and a little "snowman poop"


Nativity in foyer, my 5 year old set it up this year


Tiny kitchen themed tree


A few Christmas cards lining the doorway from kitchen

We also have another Christmas tree upstairs in the girls' playroom with all their ornaments.
Have a very blessed Christmas!

Carrot Cake

This is a very delicious carrot cake. It's a Paula Deen recipe..from her first cookbook. I do tweak a couple of things..so the recipe I post will not be exactly like hers..but not far off. I decrease the amount of pecans inside the cake. I never even liked carrot cake until a few years ago when I made this one...and I was hooked ever since. I hope over the next few days I can post some pictures of my Christmas decorations. I love looking at others for inspiration. Be on the look out for another cake coming up....Red Velvet!

Carrot Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add eggs and vegetable oil and mix well; add carrots and pecans. Pour into three 9 inch round greased,floured pans. Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, place on waxpaper, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

One 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter
One 16oz box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine all ingredients except for nuts and beat until fluffy. Stir in nuts. Frost cake.