ORANGE CARROT CAKE with ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FILLING and PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE ICING

I made this for Christmas dinner's dessert, but it should have been a meal in itself. DEFINITELY making this one again and again!!
ORANGE CARROT CAKE with ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FILLING and PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE ICING
CAKE
4 eggs, room temperature
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup spiced rum
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 cups finely shredded carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 - 11 ounce can mandarin orange sections, drained WELL and coarsely chopped
  • Pour rum over raisins and set aside for at least an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line pans with waxed paper and grease and flour the paper in 3-8 inch cake pans.
  • In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, orange peel, salt and sugar.
  • In another bowl cream together the canola oil, vanilla and 1 egg. Add additional eggs and beat until well creamed.
  • Add dry ingredients gradually until well blended.
  • Fold in carrots and coconut blending well.
  • Drain raisins and oranges WELL and fold in last.
  • Spoon batter into prepared pans.
  • "drop" pans to settle batter evenly.
  • Bake 30-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool 10 minutes.
  • Remove layers from pans and remove wax paper.
  • Invert cakes onto rack and cool completely before assembling.
*As an option you could soak the raisins in orange juice instead and then substitute 1 teaspoon maple flavoring for the rum. But my favorite way is to use Parrot Bay Coconut rum.
ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FILLING
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy.
  • Add orange marmalade and powdered sugar.
  • Spread half the filling between each layer.
  • Frost top and sides of cake.
PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

  • In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
  • Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
  • Ice first layer and then add 2nd cake top and ice again including sides of cake.
  • Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.


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Good cooking is an art, as well as a form of intense pleasure... A recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent cook can play each time with a variation. ~Madame Jehane Benoit, Chef (1904-1987)