Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Hard Sauce

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl beat together sugar, oil, and eggs. Stir in carrots and nuts. Add dry ingredients; mix to combine thoroughly.

Lightly butter a ceramic or plastic fluted tube pan. Spoon in batter. Elevate pan on an inverted dish or plastic trivet.

Microwave on 50% power 18 to 24 minutes, rotating pan a half turn, if necessary, for even cooking. Cake will pull away slightly from the side of the pan when done, and a skewer inserted in the center will come out clean.

Cool slightly before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve with Cream Cheese Hard Sauce.

For Cream Cheese Hard Sauce: With an electric mixer or by hand, cream together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

To make in food processor: Process cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Add sugar all at once and process a few seconds. Cover and refrigerate to cool.

Serve cool but not thoroughly chilled or sauce will be too hard to spoon and spread.