Carrot Cake with spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

M.J.Sanyour for Tortoise Orchard

INGREDIENTS:
Wet ingredients
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
OR ~ 3/4 cup oil + 1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
OR ~ 2 c white sugar + 1 tbs. molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dry ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Additional items:
3 cups grated carrots

(Optional )
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Pineapple - 8 oz. canned crushed
allow juice to drain - use fruit only

DIRECTIONS:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt pan.
2.) Beat eggs; add oil, white sugar and vanilla. Stir in carrots. Fold in pineapple and/or nuts. Pour into prepared pan.
3.) Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.


Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese,
softened
1 to 2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Optional - 1 cup chopped pecans

Combine butter, cream cheese, and beat until smooth. Add half of confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add a little more confectioner's sugar if too soft. Should be thick but not stiff. To frost the cooled cake -- have cake on a plate. Stir frosting and make a ring of frosting on top of cake centered on high point. Shake the plate to make frosting drape over ridges of design. Sprinkle with optional nuts if desired.