Orange Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans and set aside. For easier removal, line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper and grease.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
  2⅓ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ tablespoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ginger, ⅛ teaspoon cloves
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and orange zest. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and whisk just until the flour is incorporated. Fold in the carrots and toasted pecans.
  1½ cups sugar, 1 cup buttermilk, ¾ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, 4 tablespoons orange zest, 3 cups shredded carrot, 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
  
• Evenly divide the cake batter between the greased cake pans. Place into the oven to bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature.
  
• While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the frosting ingredients except the milk. Using a paddle or whisk attachment, beat on low for a minute to allow the powdered sugar to become incorporated. Increase speed to high and beat for 4 minutes or until a smooth, fluffy frosting has formed. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to reach the desired consistency.
  24 ounces cream cheese, 1½ cups unsalted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon milk
  
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a tip with about ¾ cup of frosting and set aside.
• Once the cakes are cooled, turn the first layer out onto a plate or cake stand. Using an offset spatula or rubber spatula, spread about ½ cup of frosting onto the first layer. Place the second layer on top of the first layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
  
• Fill your hand with some chopped pecan pieces and cup it around the bottom of the cake and press into the sides. Pipe frosting swirls onto the top of the cake. To make a clean circle of swirls, pipe in a clock formation. First pipe at 6:00 then 12:00 then 3:00 then 9:00. Continue this pattern of piping a swirl and piping another directly across from it until you have piped a circle on top of the cake. For a little extra garnish, sprinkle the top with orange zest.
  ½ cup chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons orange zest
  
• Slice and serve!