Cream Cheese Frosted Carrot Layer Cake

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups finely grated peeled carrots, packed
• 1 cup raisins (Optional)
• 1 can 8 oz crushed pineapple, drained
• (reserve 1 T of drained Pineapple juice)
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped into small pieces
• 1 c vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh orange zest
• 3 eggs, extra large

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 16 oz. Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 small pinch salt

Directions

Carrot Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter. Cut parchment paper rounds to fit and line the bottom. Lightly grease the parchment paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl stir together the Flour, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt, all Spices.
4. Peel the carrot and put through a food processor or use a fine grater and grate the carrots to a small consistency.
5. In a large mixing bowl place the carrots,pineapple(drained), orange zest and walnuts. If you are using raisins add them as well. Stir all this together with a large wooden spoon.
6. To this mixture add the oil, vanilla and eggs, using an electric mixer on low to medium speed.
7. Next add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each to incorporate. Add one tablespoon of reserved pineapple juice and mix well.
8. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with an electric mixer for about one minute until combined. Don't overmix.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and place into the preheated oven.
10. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Half way through the time, rotate the pans for more even cooking.
11. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
12. Remove and place the pans onto a cooling rack. Do not remove from the pans for 2 hours.
13. This is a very moist and fragile cake and will break easily.
14. When the cake is cooled, prepare the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting.

1. Place the butter and cream cheese into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer and beat together until creamy and smooth.
2. Add the confectioners' sugar one cup at a time, beating in.
3. Add the salt, vanilla and almond extract and beat in.

Assembly

1. Remove the cakes from their pans and place one layer on a cake plate. Put about 1/4 of the frosting onto the layer.
2. Place the second layer on top.
3. Cover the top and sides with frosting. If you have too much frosting refrigerate for another occasion or make the carrot with the leftovers.
4. OPTIONAL: If you ant to make the carrot on top, just put a small amount of leftover frosting into two bowls. Put a little orange food coloring and stir in to get the orange color. Put into a piping bag and pipe out a carrot.
5. The second small bit of frosting you will color with green food coloring. Put into a piping bag and use a small tip to pipe the green part of the carrot.