Cream cheese frosting

The sweetish tangy icing goes perfect as a frosting for the spice infused carrot cake.

Ingredients:
12 oz.( 1 1/2 sticks) full-fat cream cheese, chilled
12 Tbsp ( 1 1/2 sticks) butter, unsalted, room temp
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
6 cups confectioners sugar

Method:
In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until very soft and light for about 5 minutes. Decrease the speed to low and gradually add in the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, beating after each addition and finally increase the speed to medium for 5 minutes longer.
The icing is now ready to be spread since it is at room temp. If adding pecans, hold the iced cake by base in one hand and use the other to touch pecan bits to the icing. The cake needs to be chilled before serving.

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped, lightly toasted
To toast them, put them in a 350 oven on a rimmed baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes. let them cool on the pan.