Carrot Cake!!!!!

Carrot Cake and Orange Ginger Cream Cheese Icing

Yum Yum!!! This cake is amazing. It isn't like most carrot cakes, because it is more spice cake in taste from the ginger. The orange and ginger in the icing finish the cake off perfectly. Warning - it is difficult to resist a second slice!

Ingredients - Cake

Makes one 8-inch layer cake.

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted plus more for pans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 cup (3 ounces) pecan halves
• 1 pound large carrots, peeled
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour, and tap out any excess. Set aside. (I do not like nuts, so I omitted this) Spread pecans in a single layer on an ungreased baking pan, and toast in oven until lightly golden, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand until completely cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Finely chop pecans and set aside.
2. Using the smallest holes (less than 1/4-inch in diameter) of a box grater, grate carrots, yielding 2 1/2 cups. (I did not have a grater so I chopped them in the food processor and it was just fine) Place carrots, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, and ginger in a large bowl; mix until well combined. (As Sunny said in previous posts, buttermilk can be made from milk and a teaspoon of vinegar)
3. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until combined. Fold in the melted butter and toasted pecans.
4. Divide batter between the two cake pans, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes. Remove pans from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack; let stand until completely cool.
5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so surfaces are level. Slice each layer in half crosswise. Place a layer on a cake stand or cardboard round, and spread 3/4 cup frosting over top. Place a second cake layer on top, and spread with another 3/4 cup frosting. Repeat with third layer and another 3/4 cup frosting. Place last cake layer on top, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of assembled cake. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill 3 to 4 hours. It really needs to be refrigerated prior to serving. Otherwise, it will fall apart upon cutting.

Ingredients - Icing

· 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

· 3 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature

· 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

· 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

· 1 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

· Pinch of salt

Directions

Place butter in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, and beat until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add sugar, orange zest, ginger, and salt, and beat for 5 minutes.

Recipe modified from MarthaStewart.com