Carrot Cake

I took half a day off today so that I could be home and monitor my son while he prepares for his exams.  You know how teens can be - zero focus if they are not monitored and distracted by the slightest thing.  And besides I still have 8 days left of holidays to be taken by the end of this year - so I may as well make use of it now.  So I got us both sandwiches from the cafeteria at work.  We ate while watching TV and then he got to his studies and I thought "hhmmm I have still carrots left...let me find something to make".  So I browsed through the papers and found this carrot cake recipe just below the carrot cookies recipe I made yesterday.  So voilà, with nothing else to do on a cold Monday afternoon, I set to baking a carrot cake.

Separated Egg yolk & whites

While preparing the cake, I set up some good old music I had from the film of the '70s, "Love Story".  The music of this film is timeless.  I received the book from my husband when he was courting me and I remember completing the whole book in a night and crying so much after finishing it.  Then later on I saw the film and loved it so much too.  This is one of the few films where the film is made like the book because I am one of those who never likes a film when it is made based on a book. A funny saying I once read sums it nicely - never judge a book by its film.  

Here is the link I found on youtube of the "Love Story" music I am so in love with:

Egg whites beaten stiff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K1TI21NS7c&feature=related

Preparation Time:  1 hour
Serves 8 pieces

Ingredients:

1 cup finely grated carrots

2 eggs

Butter & Sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter

¾ cup half-fat milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 ¾ cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon lime juice

½ teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar.  
2. Separate the egg yolks and white.  
3. Add the yolks to the butter-sugar mixture along with the vanilla and lime juice and beat well.  
4. Combine the flour and baking powder.
5. Mix the flour into the butter-egg mixture alternating with the milk.  
6. Now gradually stir in the finely grated carrot.  
7. Beat egg whites with salt till stiff.  
8. Fold the egg whites in lightly into the batter.  
9. Pour into a greased pan and bake in a moderate over (180 degrees C) for 30 – 35 minutes.  This cake is best served warm.