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.