Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups carrots, peeled, grated
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, well drained
• 1/2 cup currant
• 2 cups walnuts, toasted

CREAM CHEESE ICING

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup butter, temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon orange peel, grated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. 2

   For the cake: Grease and flour nonstick 8-inch square cake pan. Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowel to blend. Whisk sugar and eggs in large bowl. Stir in oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredietns. Stir in carrots, pineapple and currrants. Transfer to prepared pan.

3. 3

   Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in pan in rack, 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

4. 4

   For the frosting : Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and orange peel in large bowl until fluffy. Stir in powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

5. 5

   Frost top and sides of cake. Press walnuts onto sides of cake, chill to set icing, Serve.