Best ever carrot cake
Ingredients
For the cake...
1¼ cups corn oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
4 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raisins
1½ cups shredded, sweetened coconut
For the pecan cream filling...
1½ cups sugar
¼ cup flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ cups heavy cream
¾ cup unsalted butter
1¼ cups chopped pecans
2 teaspoons vanilla
For the cream cheese frosting...
8 ounces soft unsalted butter
8 ounces soft cream cheese
1 box (1 pound) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Make the pecan cream filling
- In a heavy saucepan, blend well the flour, sugar and salt.
- Gradually stir in the cream.
- Add the butter.
- Cook and stir the mixture over a low heat until the butter has melted, then let simmer for 20-30 minutes until golden brown in color, stirring occasionally.
- Cool to lukewarm. Stir in the nuts and vanilla.
- Let cool and refrigerate, preferably overnight.
- If too thick to spread, bring to room temperature before using.
Make the cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Have ready a greased and floured 10" tube cake pan.
- In a large bowl, wisk together the corn oil and sugar.
- Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Sift half the dry ingredients into the sugar-oil mixture and blend.
- Alternately, sift in the rest of the dry ingredients while adding the eggs, one by one.
- Combine well. Add the carrots, raisins, and pecans.
- Pour into the prepared tube pan and bake for 70 minutes.
- Cool upright on a cooling rack.
- If you are not using the cake that day it can be removed from the pan, wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature.
Make the cheese cream filling
- Cream the butter well. Add the cream cheese and beat until blended.
- Sift in the sugar and add the vanilla.
- If it is too soft to spread, chill a bit.
- Chill if not using immediately, but bring to room temperature before spreading.
Assemble the cake
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until it colors lightly.
- Toss the coconut occasionally while it is baking so that it browns evenly.
- Cool completely.
- Have the filling and the frosting at a spreadable consistency.
- Loosen the cake in it's pan and invert onto a serving plate.
- With a long serving knife, carefully split the cake into three horizontal layers.
- Spread the filling between the layers.
- Spread the frosting over the top and sides.
- Pat the coconut onto the sides of the cake.