Sharing Special Recipes: Celebrating Easter and Passover

Each year, followers of Christian faiths close out Lent by attending church services and gathering with friends and family for spring-inspired celebrations. There are many classic Easter traditions you can incorporate this year as you celebrate this April 9th. Some traditions like visiting the Easter bunny or attending an egg hunt may already be a part of your

Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• Unsalted butter for the pan

(serves 8)

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan

• 12 oz grated carrots (approx. 6 medium carrots)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp ground allspice

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

• ½ tsp salt

• 1¼ cups sugar

• ¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 6 oz plain yogurt

• 6 oz vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flour a 9" round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

• Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices with a hand mixer or a food processor. Add this mixture to the shredded carrots, and stir until the carrots are coated with flour.

• Combine sugar, brown sugar, eggs and yogurt in a bowl and mix with the vegetable oil.

• Add this to the carrot mixture and stir until combined.

• Pour into the cake pan and bake for 45 mins on 350º.

• Reduce heat to 325º and bake for another 15 mins.

• Let the cake cool for 20 mins, remove from the pan and allow to cool completely before frosting the cake.

Article and photos by Sheila Turner-Hilliard

holiday plans, but perhaps this is the year you’d like to try a new tradition or even a new recipe.

Aside from the traditional Easter dinner of ham, rack of lamb, scalloped potatoes and asparagus, why not try your hand at homemade carrot cake? It’s an easy- to-prepare, delicious crowd-pleasing dessert topped with your very own cream cheese frosting!

Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz cream cheese

• 2 oz unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl, and mix until blended, then add the vanilla extract.

• Slowly add the powdered sugar, and mix until smooth.

• Refrigerate the frosting for 10 mins before spreading it on the cake.