Carrot Cake and Lemon Icing

Carrot Cake

Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Allspice
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger


Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper.
Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar, applesauce and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and ginger. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool cakes completely.


Icing
1.5 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3/4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/8 cups powdered sugar
In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until combined and airy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
Sift the powdered sugar onto a piece of parchment or wax paper. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sifted powdered sugar into the frosting (use both hands to bend the paper so the sugar pours slowly into
the bowl).
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. If the frosting seems too soft to spread, allow it to chill for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.