ok. so.
anna and i decided to attempt one or more carrot cakes made from scratch for easter weekend. we found a recipe we liked and got started on cake number one (but made enough carrot shreds for a second round).
i busted out the easter sprinkles to make it really festive and a lovely carrot cake was finished.
the problem was. it was saturday. and we really wanted to try it. so we did. and it was fabulous.
but then also. derek told his mom we were planning to bring it to easter lunch the next day. so. our hands were forced and a second carrot cake would be made.
except then i decided that cupcakes would be a million times easier. and since my sous chefs both disappeared, this turned out to be a great decision. and a good way to use up more easter themed sprinkles. apparently i bought a bunch on clearance at the end of last easter season. 🙂
well. that certainly should be enough, right? you would think so.
but here’s the thing. often times, when i bake cakes, i end up with an extra layer, here or there. i usually throw it in the freezer for an emergency/catastrophe. same goes for frosting. i almost always have leftover frosting that i toss into the fridge to save for another time. well, this has happened quite a bit lately, and with the self imposed expiration dates approaching, it seemed like a good time to clean out the fridge, and make myself a little “scrappy” cake. (sort of like with sewing, when i make a quilt from the leftover scraps of other quilts).
it’s also a perfect opportunity to practice, with nothing on the line. low stakes. a freebie. no deadline. no pressure. so, on easter morning, i made up this little guy. it’s a 6″ three layer cake, with chocolate buttercream filling, american buttercream frosting, and mock meringue flowers (the colors of which you might remember from this cake). it turned out so good, if i do say so myself.
and then. i took it to easter with me. along with the carrot cupcakes. and do you know what happened? EVERYONE went for the scrappy cake. and it was devoured. and the carrot cupcakes went mostly untouched. except for a few that were claimed by folks to take home for leftovers.
so, we ended up stuck with like 2/3 of an entire carrot cake from the first attempt, plus a dozen and a half cupcakes. but never fear. i took them to work the next day and they were properly disposed of. 🙂
The scrappy cake was irresistible!