Gourmet Carrot Cake (adapted from Book Lovers Cafe Gainesville, FL recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup canola oil

4 eggs

3 cups grated carrots

3/4 cups diced walnuts

1 Tbsp lemon zest

dash of vanilla

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

Sift dry ingredients (first 7 ingredients) in separate bowl. Beat together sugar and oil in a large bowl. Then beat in the eggs one at a time. Slowly mix in flour mixture, then add the rest of the ingredients: carrots, walnuts, zest, vanilla. Pour into (2) 9 inch greased and floured rounds cake pans. Bake 50-60 minutes. Then cool, ice and garnish with walnuts.

Icing:

8z cream cheese, softened

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 1/c cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp lemon zest

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp powdered cloves

Blend all ingredients until smooth with an electric mixer.