Carrot Ginger Cake

This carrot and ginger cake will be a highlight on your holiday table and in a cookbook.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil - 1 1/2 cups
• Sugar - 2 cups
• Large eggs - 4 pcs.
• Lemon zest - 1 tbsp. l.
• Wheat flour - 2 cups
• Baking powder - 2 tsp
• Ground ginger - 2 tsp
• Soda - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon (ground) - 1 tsp
• Nutmeg (ground) - 1/4 tsp
• Carrots (finely grated) - 3 cups
• For cream:
• Cream cheese - 240 g
• Butter (room temperature) - 1 cup
• Lemon zest - 1 tbsp. l.
• Fresh lemon juice - 1 tbsp. l.
• Powdered sugar - 6 cups
• Pecan or walnut and lemon wedge for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare cream. To do this, combine cream cheese, butter, lemon zest and juice in a large bowl, beat at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating continuously. You should get a homogeneous mass. Put in refrigerator.
2. Turn on the oven to preheat to 180 degrees. Butter 3 round molds, about 22 cm in diameter, and then sprinkle with flour.
3. In a large bowl, combine vegetable oil, sugar and eggs, beat at medium speed with a mixer until smooth creamy mass. Add lemon zest, mix well again.
4. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually pour this mass into the oil mixture, mixing well. Then add chopped carrots, mix.
5. Pour the dough into 3 prepared molds, distributing the mass evenly over the molds. Place in the oven and bake for about 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove molds from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove the ginger carrot cake layers from the molds and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Grease the cooled cakes with cream and fold on top of each other. Decorate the carrot-ginger cake with nuts and a lemon wedge (optional).