Spiced Carrot Cake – adaptation from Southern Living

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1?½ cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon Mom's Golden MoJo
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
• 3 cups finely shredded carrots
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ? cup honey
• 1 cup chopped dried apricots or pitted dates
• 1 recipe Ginger-Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chopped pistachio nuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottoms of three 8- or 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour paper. In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, MoJo and cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Step 2
3. In another bowl combine eggs, carrots, oil, and honey. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until combined. Stir in apricots. Pour into prepared pans.
4. Step 3
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; remove paper. Cool cakes on wire racks.
6. Step 4
7. Frost the top of each cake layer with Ginger-Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, stacking them as you go; frost sides of the cake. Decorate with nuts and carrot shreds or ribbons. Serves 16.
8. Ginger-Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
9. Remove 2 tsp. zest and squeeze 2 Tbsp. juice from 1 orange. In a large bowl combine one 8-oz. pkg. softened cream cheese; 3/4 cup softened butter; the orange juice; and 1 tsp. ground ginger. Beat with a mixer on low until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in an additional 1 to 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar to make a spreadable frosting. Stir in zest.