Apple Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Filling & Praline Icing - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar, divided
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups shredded peeled tart apples (I like to use Granny Smith)
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
PRALINE ICING
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (use good vanilla if you have it, so worth it!)
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preparation

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in 1 egg; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat oil with remaining sugar and eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into oil mixture until blended. Stir in the apples, carrots and pecans.
Transfer half of the apple batter to a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan; layer with cream cheese mixture and remaining apple batter.
Bake at 350\u00b0 for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a large saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter and milk to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; whisk in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake. Sprinkle with pecans.