Baking challenge - april

Sooo... I made the carrot cake and a Paleo carrot cake - I have also made chocolate babka buns, and will do a paleo version and post them later...

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.

Because I like to use what I have at home at the moment, I used Bacardi Rum w/ coconut extract in stead of the Parrot Rum, and I substituted the mandarins w/ bits of orange 

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 the filling between each layer.

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.

Paleo Carrot cake recipe here

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