Author: Rae Allen

  • Carrot Cake with cream cheese icing

    Carrot cake with cream cheese icing
    Recipe Type: Dessert
    Cuisine: Australian
    Author: Rae Allen
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 1 cake
    This is the first time in some years I have cooked carrot cake from scratch but is proved as simple as ever. I tried to reduce sugar so went looking for a recipe that was a bit lighter on sugar, then adapted it..
    Ingredients
    • 1 cup self-raising flower
    • 1 1/4 cups plain flower
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups grated carrot ( for me this is about 6 medium carrots )
    • 1 cup granulated sugar ( I use raw granulated )
    • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar ( I use dark brown sugar )
    • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup low-fat milk
    • <b>Icing:</b>
    • 180g cream cheese, softened ( or about 3/4 cup )
    • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • 3 cups powdered sugar ( i use castor sugar )
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 350°.
    2. To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife.
    3. Combine flour, ground cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
    4. Add grated carrot, tossing through with a fork until evenly combined.
    5. Place granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a large bowl.
    6. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined.
    7. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
    8. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
    9. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
    10. Take a 200 mm circular spring baking pan, grease very lightly, can put two layers of baking paper on the botton, and a layer of baking paper around the inside ring.
    11. Pour or spoon mix into the pan coated with cooking spray.
    12. Bake at 180°C for half an hour to an hour, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. It is good to test as the time can vary significantly depending on the oven.
    13. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.
    14. <b>Icing:</b>
    15. Place soft cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and salt in a medium bowl.
    16. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy.
    17. Gradually add castor sugar, beating at medium speed until combined (don’t overbeat).
    18. Spread icing thickly over top of cake.
    3.4.3177

     

  • Rae Allen gave 4 stars to: Teardrops In The Night Sky (Steven Gordon Series Book 1)

    Rae Allen reviewed:

    Teardrops In The Night Sky (Steven Gordon Series Book 1) by J W Murison

    Just give me more!, October 9, 2015
    Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
    This looks like turning into a terrific space opera – so much so that on finishing this I went looking for the next in the series

    from Customer reviews on Amazon http://amzn.to/1jjMdCa
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  • Rae Allen gave 4 stars to: After the Winter (The Silent Earth, Book 1)

    Rae Allen reviewed:

    After the Winter (The Silent Earth, Book 1) by Mark R. Healy

    A very human story, September 8, 2015
    Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
    This is a very strong debut novel from Australian author Mark Healy. The introduction of the ‘synthetic human’ plotline is subtle, you need to double back and read about the wounds to make sure you comprehend them correctly.

    from Customer reviews on Amazon http://amzn.to/1UFW5C6
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  • Rae Allen gave 4 stars to: Rebel (Rebel Stars Book 0)

    Rae Allen reviewed:

    Rebel (Rebel Stars Book 0) by Edward W. Robertson

    Good start to series, June 16, 2015
    Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
    Good start to the Rebel Stars series (I couldn’t quite work out why it was book zero ), and sets up the main character very well. I have a soft spot for the some what decayed view in space drama and this neatly combines high tech with needing to make a living.

    from Customer reviews on Amazon http://amzn.to/1BhyNio
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  • Rae Allen gave 4 stars to: Killing the Beasts

    Rae Allen reviewed:

    Killing the Beasts by Chris Simms

    Find the serial killer, April 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
    This is an excellent crime drama. The way the characters both good and bad are connected give the book an impetus not always found in the ‘serial killer’ genre.

    from Customer reviews on Amazon http://amzn.to/1PZMfKL
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  • Rae Allen gave 4 stars to: Chimera (Universe Eventual Book 1)

    Rae Allen reviewed:

    Chimera (Universe Eventual Book 1) by N.J. Tanger

    Dystopian universe delights, April 27, 2015
    Chimera is billed as YA Science fiction, and as with the best YA fiction it will appeal to a much broader audience.

    The book starts at a fast pace and almost immediately introduces two of the main characters, with the hint of a third. The reader soon finds themselves in a dystopian universe, the colony of Stephens’ Point is dying, abandoned by Earth.

    The characters of Theo and Selena are well detailed while the other two main characters Marcus and Megan are less so, but still very real.

    As a start to what appears to be a series, ‘Universe Eventual’, this is very impressive. I would have given it five stars except I couldn’t really envisage the environment and place in which it was set as well as I would have liked.

    I’m looking forward to more in this universe!

    from Customer reviews on Amazon http://amzn.to/1Ds1D9F
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  • Messages (David Chance Mystery #1)


    author: John Michael Hileman
    name: Rae
    average rating: 3.68
    book published: 2011
    rating: 2
    read at:
    date added: 2015/04/18
    shelves:
    review:
    This was a more average book than I expected from the initial blurb. The plot line was thin and ended up coming out as some contrived christian v muslim v shady money manifesto #review

    from http://bit.ly/1IXaCYp

  • The Bloody North (The Fallen Crown, #1)


    author: Tony Healey
    name: Rae
    average rating: 3.59
    book published: 2014
    rating: 4
    read at: 2015/04/18
    date added: 2015/04/18
    shelves:
    review:
    This turned out to be a much better book than I initially expected. The story line is strong and the action sequences are well written #review

    from http://bit.ly/1b9bdIf

  • Rae Allen gave 4 stars to: FIERCE

    Rae Allen reviewed:

    FIERCE: Sixteen Authors Of Fantasy by Mercedes Lackey

    A taste of fantasy that will leave you looking for more, April 7, 2015
    Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
    "Fierce" is a great way to get a taste of a range of fantasy fiction authors. Some like Mercedes Lackey and Morgan Rice I know quite well, while others like C Greenwood and K. J. Colt provided me with a great introduction to their work and their style of storytelling. As a collection the only weakness was a couple of yarns I had already read, but as a whole a very strong body of work.

    from Customer reviews on Amazon http://amzn.to/1ybMf5M
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  • Testing Tunein embed

    seeing if the 612 stream will work as an embed