GINGER-ORANGE CARROT CAKE WITH ORANGE-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

GINGER-ORANGE CARROT CAKE WITH ORANGE-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING image

Yield 1 13 by 9 inch cake

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 pound medium carrots (6 to 7 carrots), peeled
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil safflower oil, or canola oil
1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger
Orange-Cream Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese softened but still cool
5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, but still cool
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar (4 1/2 ounces)

Steps:

1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment and spray parchment. 2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside. 3. In a food processor fitted with a large shredding disk, shred the carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer the carrots to a bowl and set aside. Wipe out the food processor workbowl and fit with the metal blade. Process the granulated and brown sugars, eggs and the orange zest until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds. With the machine running, add the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process until the mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Stir in the carrots, crystallized ginger, and the dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Cool the cake to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. 4. For the frosting: When cake is cool, process cream cheese, butter, and orange juice and zest in clean food processor workbowl until combined, about 5 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners' sugar and process until smooth, about 10 seconds. 5. Run paring knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Invert cake onto wire rack, peel off parchment, then invert again onto serving platter. Using icing spatula, spread frosting evenly over surface of cake. Cut into squares and serve. (Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)