Holiday Cake with Kiwi

It’s not too early to be planning the desserts for your holiday feasts. This cake from the people at Louana Foods is as tasty as it is attractive.

HOLIDAY CAKE WITH KIWI
Ingredients
Cake:
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup LouAna vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

Frosting:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons chopped pecan halves, toasted
• 3 tablespoons chopped, pitted dates
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped raisins

Garnish:
• 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced long-ways
• Pecan halves
• Maraschino cherries

Preparation and Cooking:
• Preheat oven to 350°.

• Line bottoms of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with waxed paper; coat with cooking spray. Combine and stir oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract and eggs in a large bowl. Stir flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in separate bowl. Alternately add flour mixture and sour cream to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in carrot and pecans. Divide batter between pans. Bake for 45 minutes. If you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean, it’s ready. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes; cool completely on racks.

• For frosting, combine and beat butter and cream cheese. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Remove 1 1/4 cups frosting and add pecans, dates and raisins; set remaining frosting aside.

• Place one cake layer on a plate; top with nut and fruit mixture. Place second cake layer on top. Spread very thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake, which eases the main frosting process. Chill cake and remaining frosting 1 hour. Spread remaining frosting over entire cake.

• Garnish with kiwi, pecans and cherries.

Serves 10 people. Visit www.louana.com for more recipes.

^{(recipe and photo courtesy of Louana.com)}