Carrot Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 pkg (21.41 oz) classic carrot cake mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided
3 None large navel orange, zested and juiced
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice
1 tsp cinnamon
3 None large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 sticks (4 oz. each) butter, at cool room temperature
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, at cool room temperature
12 oz good quality white chocolate, like bakers' melted, cooled
1 None large orange, thinly sliced
1/4 cup shredded carrot orange slices, for garnish
None None carrot julienne, for garnish
None None fresh mint, for garnish

Preparation

Heat oven to 350\u00b0F. Grease two 8 inch cake pans. In a saucepan, heat orange juice to just under boiling. Remove from heat. Add contents of carrot and raisin pouch. Let stand 5 mins. In an electric mixer, beat together 1 cup cake mix, pecans, 2 teaspoons of orange zest, pineapple, cinnamon, eggs, and oil for 30 seconds. Add carrot mixture. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Divide between pans. Bake for 20 mins or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes. Un-mold and cool completely.
In a standing mixer, beat butter on medium speed until smooth. Add cream cheese. Beat for 1 minute or until smooth, scraping down side of bowl as needed. Beat in white chocolate.
For basket weave icing, place 1 cake layer on a serving platter. Spread top with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer. Spread top and side with thin layer of frosting. Chill for 1 hour.
Divide remaining frosting between two piping bags. Fitted one bag with a plain decorating tip, like Wilton #7, the the second bag with a serrated tip, like Wilton #47. With the plain tip, pipe out a vertical stripe of frosting from top to bottom of cake. Using the serrated tip, pipe 11/4 inch horizontal stripes of frosting across the the first vertical stripe. Leave an even space between horizontal stripes. Pipe another vertical stripe at the edge of the horizontal stripes. Start the next set of horizontal stripes \"under\" the first vertical stripe. Repeat until complete.
With serrated tip, pipe a decorative border at the top edge of the cake. Press remaining nuts into cake at base. Garnish with orange slices, julienne carrot, small white daisy and fresh mint.