Carrot Cake With Pecan Cream Filling and Cream Cheese Icing

You have to start this the day before you plan to serve it as the Pecan Cream Filling needs refrigeration time. A great variation on the usual carrot cake as this is made in a tube pan and split into layers. I found this treasure back a few years in a cute little cookbook called "Beat This".

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• Pecan Cream Filling

• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
• 5⁄8 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1⁄4 cups  chopped pecans, lightly toasted
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract

• Carrot Cake

• 1 1⁄4 cups  corn oil
• 2  cups sugar (preferably superfine or Baker's)
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 4  large eggs
• 4  cups  grated carrots (about 1 pound)
• 1  cup  chopped pecans

• Icing

• 1  cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
• 8  ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1  lb confectioners' sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  pinch salt

Directions

1. For Pecan Cream Filling: A day before you make the cake, blend the sugar, flour and salt in a heavy saucepan.
2. Gradually stir in the cream.
3. Add the butter.
4. Cook and stir the mixture over low heat until the butter has melted; then let simmer 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
5. Cool to lukewarm.
6. Stir in the pecans and vanilla.
7. Let the mixture cool completely.
8. Refrigerate it overnight.
9. If it is too thick to spread, bring it to room temperature before using.
10. For Carrot Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
11. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
12. In a large bowl, whisk together the corn oil and the sugar.
13. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
14. Sift half the dry ingredients into the oil-sugar mixture, then blend well.
15. Sift in the rest of the dry ingredients while adding the eggs, one at a time.
16. Mix well.
17. Add the carrots and pecans and mix again. (If you like raisins in your cake, feel free to throw some in now).
18. Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan.
19. Bake for 70 minutes, or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
20. Cool upright, in the pan, on a rack.
21. While the cake is baking, prepare the icing.
22. Icing: Cream together the butter and cream cheese until well blended and fluffy.
23. Sift in the confectioners' sugar.
24. Cream again. Then beat in the vanilla and the salt. If the icing is too soft to spread, chill it for a few minutes.
25. Refrigerate it if you don't plan to use it right away, but bring it back to room temperature before using.
26. Assembly: Run knife around inside of pan to loosen cake.
27. Invert onto serving plate.
28. With a long serrated knife, carefully split the cake into 3 horizontal layers.
29. Spread the filling between the layers. (You may not need it all).
30. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the icing.