I am a sucker for cream cheese-based frostings. I think the traditional carrot cake + cream cheese frosting pairing is a match made in foodie heaven – the slightly tangy bite of cream cheese is the perfect complement to the smooth sweetness of carrot cake. I very much appreciate opportunities to use cream cheese in a sweet capacity.

So, as I flipped through my cookbooks a few nights ago to find an easy dessert to bake while S and I watched a fascinating documentary, I was delighted when I realized that the Spice Cake in Joanna Vaught‘s sadly out of print Yellow Rose Recipes had a simple cream cheese icing. I still had half a tub of Tofutti left from my pumpkin cinnamon rolls, so I was good to go. I whipped the cake up in no time, making just a few modifications, and had the icing ready and waiting when it was cooled. The results were perfect.

Curse these nighttime photos and their horrible lighting!

This might be my new favorite cream cheese + cake pairing. Joanna’s spice cake is moist and light, with a perfect crumb and a judicious amount of, um, spice, and the cream cheese icing is the perfect companion. S and I couldn’t help but go back for seconds, demolishing about half the cake in a single evening. Perfection.

What’s your favorite dessert combination?