Carrot Tea Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing

                 This is what I've been enjoying with my morning cappuccino.


                 Carrot Tea Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing

Carrot Tea Cake:
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup grated, raw carrots
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cup unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
Orange Cream Cheese Icing:
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated, organic orange peel
• 1 teaspoon fresh orange juice

1.  Preheat oven to 325˚F.
2.  In a bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Stir in the grated carrots, eggs and pecans until well-combined.  Sift into this mixture the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; stir until blended.
3.  Butter a 1 1/2 quart loaf pan (or 8 small, individual loaf pans as I've done) and fill with carrot cake batter.  Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for one hour.  If using the individual pans, bake for 25-30 minutes.
4.  Remove from oven when cakes test done and turn out onto a cooling rack.  When cool, frost with cream cheese icing, if desired.
5.  Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth; slowly add the confectioners' sugar and beat until well-combined.  Stir in the grated orange peel and orange juice.  Spread on top of the carrot loaf cake.