Carrot Cake with Chèvre Frosting

Ingredients

• Cake
• Parchment paper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups canola oil
• 3 large eggs
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• Frosting
• 8 ounces goat cheese or cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• Garnishes: walnuts, carrot curls
• Method 
• Prepare Cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 (8-inch) round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper, and grease and flour paper.
• Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients.
• Whisk together sugar and oil in a large bowl until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking until blended after each addition. Add flour mixture, stirring just until blended. Fold in carrots and next 3 ingredients. Spoon batter into prepared cake pans.
• Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; discard parchment paper. Cool completely (about 1 hour).
• Prepare Frosting: Beat goat cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until creamy. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating at low speed until blended after each addition.
• Split vanilla bean; scrape seeds into goat cheese mixture. Beat 30 seconds to 1 minute or until frosting is light and fluffy. Spread 1/2 cup frosting between cake layers; spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake.
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