Homemade Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze

For Mom's birthday I baked a carrot cake with orange glaze. 

The glaze is delicious and much lighter than a traditional cream cheese frosting.

Carrot Cake

1 1/4 c vegetable oil

2 c sugar

2 c flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 eggs

3 c grated raw carrots

1 c finely chopped pecans

Mix the vegatable oil and sugar.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ground cinnamon.

Blend half the dry ingredients into the sugar and oil, then blend in the other half alternately with the eggs.

Mix the carrots and pecans into the batter.

Pour the batter into a lightly oiled tube pan and bake for about 70 minutes at 325 degrees (F).

Let the cake cool in the pan before removing and placing on a cake stand.

Orange Glaze

1 c sugar

1/4 c cornstarch

1 c orange juice

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. grated orange rind

1/2 tsp. salt

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch.

Slowly add the orange juice and lemon juice and stir until smooth.

Add the butter, orange rind, and salt.

Cook over low heat until thick and glossy.

The glaze should look like the photo below when it is ready.

(Be patient when cooking the glaze and do not turn your back on it.  It will take some time - approximately 20 minutes - for the glaze to become thick and glossy.  Don't leave the pot unattended because once the glaze reaches the right temperature it will turn from liquid to gel in the blink of an eye.)

Let the glaze cool before spreading it on the cake.