Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Icing

This recipe is out of the Western Producer newspaper. We have made this so many times I just couldn't tell you how many! Always perfect and always a crowd pleaser! All our neighbours who have dropped by our home have always asked for seconds!

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 58
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 1  cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup canola oil
• 1⁄2 cup applesauce (subsistution 1/2 cup crushed pineapple)
• 3  eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups carrots
• 1⁄2 cup walnut pieces (substitution 1/2 cup pecans)
• 1 1⁄2 cups flour (all-purpose)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

• icing

• 1⁄3 cup margarine (subsistution1/3 cup butter)
• 4  ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 2  cups icing sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  tablespoon  orange juice
• 1  teaspoon  orange peel (grated)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a 13 x 9 inch rectangular pan with cooking spray.
3. In a small bowl, whisk sugar, oil, applesauce or crushed pineapple and eggs until smooth.
4. Stir in grated carrot and nuts.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
6. Stir liquid mixture into flour mixture, and mix until flour is just moistened.
7. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
8. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean.
9. Cool cake in pan set on wire rack.
10. Cake can be turn out upside down in about 15 minutes so cake can cool completely before icing.
11. Icing.
12. Cream margarine and cream cheese together.
13. Add icing sugar, vanilla, and enough orange juice to make a fairly stiff icing.
14. Ice cake and sprinkle with orange peel.
15. Chill to set icing.
16. Note:
17. If you want to ice the sides of the cake as well use 8 oz of cream cheese instead of 4oz.