Italian Carrot-Pecan Torta

Only distantly related to the American-style dense, spicy loaf capped with a cream cheese frosting, this light, airy cake traces its roots to the delicate carrot-almond torta that Italian Jews enjoy on Passover. I’ve lightly caramelized the carrots with a little brown sugar to get their sweet juices going before adding them to the batter, and I’ve replaced the blanched, slightly drier almo