Our Little Bean Turns 3!!

What a crazy, awesome, fun, busy, amazing weekend! 

Our little Eila Bean turned three years old today.  And yesterday we put together a great party with lots of fun, friends and crazy small children.

Eila wanted a Max and Ruby Bunny Party, and I tried my best to put it all together for her. 

We played freeze dance, pin the bunny tail on Max, ate carrot cake cupcakes and opened a HUGE pile of presents.  Thanks so much to everyone who made Eila's birthday a great day!

As promised, here is the recipe for the Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese icing.  My sister and I made the flowers on the cake using   gumpaste/fondant mixture (thanks Nicole)

Carrot Cake

2 cups Sugar

1 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil

4 Eggs

2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1 tbsp Vanilla

3 cups Grated Carrots

Preheat oven to 325F

Butter and flour a bundt pan, or 3 8 inch round pans.

Mix oil and sugar

Stir in your eggs.

Add in the carrots and hazelnuts, if using.

Sift in your dry ingredients and carefully fold them in, being sure not to overmix.

Pour into your prepared pan and bake until an inserted skewer comes out with only a few moist crumbs, about 45 minutes.

Flip out of the pan and allow to cool completely.

Icing

2 ounces white chocolate

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

In small saucepan, melt white chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth, and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white chocolate, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and orange extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Mix in heavy cream.