The Best Ever Carrot Cake!

If you have never had carrot cake and the thought of carrots and cake does not paint a very appetizing picture in your mind, think again. For those of you who know and like 'gajar ka halwa', you kinda got the idea already. I was a skeptic once, a long time ago, and then like with everything else food, I had to try it for myself.
This carrot cake is such that once you make it, every single person who has tasted it (including you) will ask you when you are making it again. This cake has branding value. Yes, you might be known by this cake - you know when they say so and so's carrot cake - and you will be begged for the recipe, LOL. Its really that good!
The cake is fluffy and yet has that moist texture from the carrots. The carrots blend their identity into the overall taste and texture of the cake and together with the spices like ginger and nutmeg, give this cake its unique and unmistakable flavor. The hide and seek from the pieces of nuts definitely adds an interesting play as well.

Ingredients:

Grated fresh carrots		1 1/2 cups (about 2 large)
Walnut		1 cup chopped
All-purpose flour		2 1/4 cups
Ground cinnamon		2 tsp
Ground nutmeg		1/2 tsp
Ground ginger		1/2 tsp
Baking soda		1 tsp
Baking powder		1 tsp
Salt		1/2 tsp
Eggs		4 large
Sugar		1 1/2 cup
Oil		1 1/4 cup
Carrot puree baby food		2 (4-ounce) jars
Cream cheese		2 (8-ounce) packages (1 lb), at room temp
Unsalted butter		12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks), cubed, at room temp
Powdered sugar		2 cups
Vanilla extract		1 tsp

Method:
For the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter 2 (8-inch) cake pans, line them with buttered parchment paper, and dust with flour.
2. Toss the carrots and walnuts with 3/4 cup of the flour in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Whisk the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
4. In another large bowl beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thick and light, about 5 minutes. While continuing to beat the eggs slowly, gradually add the oil, and then the pureed carrot.
5. Scatter the dry ingredients over the wet and then gently fold them together to make a loose batter. Gently fold the nuts, carrots, into the batter. Pour into the prepared pans.
6. Bake the cakes until firm to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on a rack for 25 minutes. Turn cakes out of pans and cool completely on the rack.
For the icing:
1. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl, with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in the butter until smooth. Sift the sugar over the cream cheese, and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy. Refrigerate to set slightly for about 20 minutes.
To assemble the cake, place a cake layer on a cake stand, plate, or cake board. Spread about half of the icing over top. Top with a second cake layer, and repeat with remaining icing. Serve. ENJOY! Adopted from here

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