Paul's Carrot Cake

1/2 C golden raisins
2 C flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs
2 C sugar

1 1/2 C vegetable oil
3 C finely grated carrots
1 C pecans coarsely chopped
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple with juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch or three 8-inch layer cake pans.

Soak raisins in water to plump; drain well. Sift together flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy and beat in sugar until light. Add vegetable oil and flour mixture alternating. Stir in raisins, carrot, coconut, nuts, and pineapple. Pour into prepared pans, and bake 35-45 minutes, until cakes pull away from sides of pan.

Cool completely before removing from pans. Make sure the cakes are not warm at all before frosting.

Frosting:
1 Stick softened butter
1 8 oz. package cream cheese softened
1 lb. powder sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat ingredients together, frost cooled cakes and layer. I added additional crushed pecans on the side of the cake. I put strips of waxed paper under the sides of the cake so to keep the cake stand clean, and removed the paper after putting the nuts on the side. I did my regular buttercream frosting recipe for the carrots and Happy Birthday!

This carrot cake is the best I have ever had! It is packed full with so many ingredients, is so much fun to make, and is definitely a winner. It took me over a year to get this recipe. Our maintenance guy Paul raved about this recipe, but would never give it to me. I had to trade him one of my recipes to get it, and also bug him so much about it he finally gave in! I know you will enjoy it, but I also hope you have as much fun making it as I did. I made this one for my Mother-in-laws birthday. Miles thought it was the funniest thing to decorate the cake with frosting carrots!