Mary’s Fabulous Carrot Cake

Cake:
1¼ cups oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 lb carrots peeled and grated
1 cup pecans chopped
1 cup raisins
Filling:
1 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup butter
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
Frosting:
4 oz coconut
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup butter (room temperature)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil and sugar and beat well. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour half of the dry ingredients into sugar mixture and blend. Alter between dry ingredients and eggs, mixing well after each addition. Stir in carrots, pecans and raisins. Pour into two separate, lightly oiled, cake pans (or one lightly oiled angel food cake pan). Bake in 350 oven for 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool upright in pan(s).
2.Make filling: combine sugar and flour in saucepan and gradually stir in cream. Add butter and salt. Cook over low heat until mixture simmers (30 minutes). Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in vanilla. Cool completely or overnight.
3.Toast coconut 10 minutes at 350 degrees and cool. Combine cream cheese and butter, sugar, and vanilla until mixed. Refrigerate. Spread filling between layers (if using an angel food cake pan, cut cake into 2 or 3 layers). Frost all over and pat with toasted coconut.
Mary