Carrot Cake for the Raisin Haters

You won't miss the raisins (especially if you're like me and you don't like them to begin with). I like to make this cake the night before and serve chilled.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  vegetable oil
• 1  cup applesauce
• 4  large eggs
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 2  teaspoons baking soda
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1  teaspoon ground ginger
• 4  cups carrots, grated
• 1  cup pecans, chopped
• 4  cups powdered sugar
• 16  ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4  teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F
2. Lightly grease two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.
3. Lightly grease paper.
4. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, applesauce and vegetable oil in bowl until combined.
5. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into sugar and oil mixture.
7. Stir in carrots, and chopped pecans.
8. Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally.
9. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 45 minutes.
10. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely.
11. For frosting:Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy.