Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two, round eight-inch cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, add all wet ingredients and mix using an electric mixer until fully combined.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and with an electric hand mixer, blend until smooth, about two minutes.

Bake cakes, rotating halfway through baking, until a tooth pic inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean and dry, about 25-30 minutes.

While baking, make the frosting. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined.

Add sugar and mix until frosting is light and fluffy, about five to seven minutes. Be sure not to over beat as the frosting will separate.

Remove cakes from oven and allow to cook five minutes, then invert cakes onto a plate and remove cake pan. Then invert again onto a cooling rack to allow cakes to cool completely.

Ice the cake.

Garnish with pecans. (Optional.)

Refrigerate to let the frosting set.