Carrot Cake With White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe was published in Relish Magazine, a food 'section' that comes in one of the local newspapers! It's original name was Kory's Carrot Cake & is the creation of a firefighting pastry chef by the name of Kory Rollison! Preparation time includes neither the time needed for the baked cake to cool to room temperature nor the time the layers are refrigerated overnight.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 20

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE

• 4  eggs
• 1 1⁄3 cups  vegetable oil
• 2 1⁄4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons baking soda
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2  teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 1⁄4 cups carrots, shredded
• 1⁄2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1  cup pineapple, crushed, well-drained

• FOR THE FROSTING

• 1 1⁄2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature
• 2  cups white chocolate chips, melted
• 3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2  teaspoons lemon zest, minced
• 2  cups walnuts, chopped (more or less)

Directions

1. FOR THE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F & line the bottom of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper, leaving the sides of the pan dry.
2. In a large mixing bowl & with a hand mixer, beat together eggs & oil, mixing well. Add 1 cup of the sugar & continue mixing for 2 minutes, then add the remaining sugar & mix for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. In another container, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg, then add this to the egg mixture, beating on low speed until blended, about 1 minute.
4. Add carrots, walnuts & pineapple, mixing until well combined.
5. Divide batter among the prepared pans & bake 60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. On a wire rack cool to room temperature, then run a knife around the edge of the cakes & remove them from the pans, before wrapping in plastic wrap & refrigerating them overnight.
7. FOR THE FROSTING: Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl & beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add melted chocolate a little at a time, continuing to beat at medium speed.
8. Add butter a little at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl, then add the zest & beat until combined.
9. Remove cakes from the refrigerator, then ice the top of one layer, place the 2nd layer on top of that & ice the top of that layer. Place the 3rd layer on top & ice the top & sides of the cake.
10. Press chopped walnuts into the sides of the cake & ENJOY!