Really Good Carrot Cake

This cake is my new best friend.

It brought me my 15 minutes of fame at my son Max’s kindergarden bring and buy sale.
People actually said “Ooooh” and “Wooooow” when I walked in with it and I was elevated to celebrity status!
I’ve never been so popular and even strangers were asking me for the recipe.
Now I just have to work out how to keep it up the façade of master baker. (Michal, send me more recipes ASAP)
Here’s the recipe - let me know how it works out for you….


Really Good Carrot Cake (that’s a bit orangey)

Ingredients

Cake
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce (you can use more oil if you can’t get this)
2/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup plain flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups finely grated peeled carrots

Frosting
100g/4 oz unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 package cream cheese (220 g/ 8 ounce) Philadelphia is good. Best if room temperature otherwise it doesn’t blend well
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest

Preparation
For cake: Preheat oven to 160°c / 325°F. Lightly butter a large cake tin. Line bottom with baking paper; butter paper. Mix oil, apple sauce and both sugars in blender. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange juice and zest. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt - beat to blend. Stir in carrots.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until knife inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer tin to rack. Cool cake 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack. Remove waxed paper and cool.
For Frosting: Blend cream cheese and butter until light. Beat in orange juice and orange peel. Add sugar; beat until smooth. Spread frosting using spatula in thick decorative swirls over top and side of cake.
Cake can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. 

Enjoy! 
Laura