SIMPLY SENSATIONAL CARROT CAKE with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

This recipe, an award winner, was shared by a former chef, about 7 years ago.  It is the best CARROT CAKE ever, I do declare!  He shares some simple garnishing tricks that shows how a simple, yet colorful garnish, along with great taste, can sway judges.  It was his first award-winning entry.  The applesauce keeps it moist, which is important, he says, especially if the cake is sitting out while waiting the judges' arrival.  Absolutely SENSATIONAL!

SIMPLY SENSATIONAL CARROT CAKE (Maynard 'Bo' Carl)

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

4 eggs

2 Tablespoons orange zest

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup applesauce

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup flaked coconut

FROSTING

8-oz pkg cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup milk

2 Tablespoons orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups powdered sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup shredded coconut

GARNISH

4 large strawberries, sliced vertically

4 baby carrots, sliced thin, lengthwise

8 sprigs orange mint

DIRECTIONS FOR CAKE:

• Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger.  Set aside.
• In bowl, cream together sugar, oil and butter until smooth.  Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.  Beat in orange zest and vanilla extract.  Scrape down bowl.  Stir in carrots, applesauce, pecans and coconut.
• Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.  Line bottom with parchment.  Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Place pan on a bottle to cool completely, before removing from pan.

TO MAKE FROSTING:

Cream together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in milk, zest, vanilla and sugar until smooth.  Stir in pecans and coconut. Cut cake in half horizontally.  Frost lower portion, then place top portion atop and frost liberally.

FOR GARNISH:

At 4 corners on top of cake, fan out each strawberry.  Between strawberries, fan out each carrot.  At the base of each fan, place sprig of mint.