THE PROSPECT'S CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Combine oil and sugar in a bowl: beat well. Sift together dry ingredients.
• Sift half the dry ingredients into sugar mixture; blend well.
• Sift in remaining dry ingredients, alternation with eggs; mix
• well, after each addition.
• Stir in carrots, pecans and raisins.
• Pour into lightly oiled 10-inch tube pan.
• Bake in preheated 325 degree
• oven about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Cool upright in pan.
• To make filling.
• Combine sugar and flour in small heavy saucepan.
• Gradually stir in cream.
• Add butter and salt.
• Cook over very low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture come to just a simmer.
• (This may take 30 minutes.) Let simmer 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
• Stir in nuts and vanilla.
• Cool completely, ideally overnight (I just make sure it is cold-put in fridge for a while).
• To make frosting, toast coconut at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes or
• until lightly browned.
• Cool.
• Combine cream cheese and butter in food processor or mixer.
• Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla and mix until perfectly smooth.
• Refrigerate if too soft to spread immediately.
• To assemble, split cooled cake into 3 layers.
• Spread pecan filling between layers. Reassemble on cake plate and frost top and sides with frosting.
• Pat toasted coconut onto sides of cake.