Ina Garten's Carrot Cup Cakes

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 extra-large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups grated carrots (less than 1 pound)
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
For the frosting:
3/4 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound confectioners' sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat the sugar, oil, and vanilla together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the grated carrots, raisins, and walnuts to the remaining flour, mix well, and add to the batter. Mix until just combined.

Line muffin pans with paper liners. Scoop the batter into 22 muffin cups until each is 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and cook for a further 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

For the frosting, cream the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the sugar and beat until smooth.

When the cupcakes are cool, frost them generously and serve

$100 cake

I thought I’d do some investigations, and look for my birthday cake. My Granny and I had birthdays one day apart, so when we were together I used to beg her to make this cake. I don’t know if this is the exact cake, but it was called the $100 cake.

I remember the cake was super moist, rich and dense. A person just needed a small slice to be satisfied.
The story went  back in the roaring 20's a man eating at the Waldorf Astoria enjoyed this cake so much he asked for the recipe, well the cook gave him the recipe, and he was thrilled. When he got a bill for $100 and that is why it’s called the $100 cake.

This may be close, Mom?



Cake

1/2 c. butter

4 squares bitter chocolate

1 tsp. salt

2 c. sugar

2 c. cake flour, sifted

2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add melted chocolate and eggs. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with milk. Add vanilla and nuts. Put batter in layer pans (greased and floured) and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Top with $100 Waldorf Chocolate Frosting.


Frosting

1 lb. powdered sugar

1/4 lb. butter

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 egg, beaten

2 squares melted bitter chocolate or 1/4 c. cocoa, dissolved in sm. amount water

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat egg and add lemon juice. Add butter, chocolate and vanilla. Add sugar gradually, beating all the while. If frosting is too thick, add hot strong coffee or cream, as much as is needed to make frosting thin enough to spread.

Have it for your next occasion