When Life Gives You Carrots...

I was very excited recently to present my family with a 3-layer carrot cake...

drizzling with cream cheese frosting, exquisitely served on a beautiful cake plate.

I decided to try a new recipe- this cake would be a gluten-free, low carb version.

Into the oven went the three layers. A taste test revealing a delicious raw dough!

Timer set - the baking began.

 Upon its retrieval from the hot oven the cake appeared a bit thinner than usual,

 but still smelled and looked wonderful. As usual I let it cool before turning it out of the pans...

But that is where the dilemma began...

as hard as I tried - the stubborn cake would not budge!

 I tried the knife around the edge trick, the turn it upside down and bang on the pan routine,

 the re-warm the bottom of the pan try...but this cake was indeed stuck -

with no intention of coming out in anything close to one piece!

Salvaging even one intact layer let alone three was impossible...so... improvise I must. 

I began to earnestly scrape the cake out of the pans - noticing a slight, albeit unintentional,

 welcoming caramelization that occurred during the bake, each spoonful revealing that familiar

 carrot cake aroma.

 I would make this work!

 Instead of a 3-layer cake I would serve a "Deconstructed Carrot Cake Crumble" with

 a dollop of cream cheese icing on top. 

And you know what - it was absolutely the BEST carrot cake I have ever made or eaten!

It REALLY was!

Yes...I had to literally scrape it out of the pans, but when it was pried loose it was just delectable.

 And it was a good reminder to me that even the best laid plans, though they may not go the way we hoped, can be made good and maybe even better than we imagined.

 Just as God promises us - when bad things happen, He can use them to accomplish good... and even sweet and rich adventures in our lives.

Stay Cozy,

Carrie