Recipe: Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing (Swans Down)

CLASSIC CARROT CAKE

FOR THE CAKE:
4 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cups sugar
2 cups vegetable oil
5 large eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup finely chopped pecans
FOR THE ICING:
2 2/3 sticks (1 1/3 cup) unsalted butter, softened
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, cold
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 teaspoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1 cup finely chopped pecans (for garnish)

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line bottoms of three (9- by 2-inch) buttered cake pans with parchment paper. Butter paper and flour pans, knocking out excess.

In a bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger; set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together sugar, oil, and eggs until light and fluffy and with a wooden spoon stir in carrots. Stir in flour mixture until combined well and add pecans, stirring until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pans and place in middle of oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on racks 10 minutes before turning out onto racks. Remove paper from cakes and cool completely.

Cake layers may be made 1 week ahead and frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap. Thaw layers before proceeding with recipe.

TO MAKE THE ICING:
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, cream cheese and vanilla until just blended. Beat in sugar in 3 batches until smooth. Stir in orange juice and zest.

TO FROST THE CAKE:
Place 1 cake layer, dome side down, on a cake plate and spread evenly with about 1 1/2 cups icing. Repeat layering in same manner with another cake layer and icing and top with remaining cake layer, dome side up. Spread remaining icing evenly over top and sides of cake. Coat side of cake with pecans.

Source: Taste of Luzianne (Swans Down)