CARROT APRICOT CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Blend together in mixer on medium speed: sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves and allspice. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture and blend well on medium speed for approximately 5 minutes. Fold in carrots, nuts, raisin and apricots. until well blended. Distribute batter evenly into 3 or 4 (9-inch) cake pans, which have been generously greased. Bake 20 minutes if 4 skinny layers, 25 minutes if 3 layers or check with toothpick for completely baked cakes. Remove from oven cool completely on racks right side up in the pans. After 15 minutes, invert cakes onto racks to remove from pans. Place cakes in freezer for 30 minutes before frosting them. This process is the easiest way to frost a cake without crumbs in the icing.
• 2. To make the frosting: Blend cream cheese until smooth on low speed, add in softened butter until blended. Add in sugar 1 cup at a time on medium speed until frosting is smooth and creamy. Then blend in the vanilla.
• 3. Remove cakes from freezer. Place first layer, bottom side down, in center of cake plate. With a spatula, evenly distribute frosting on 1st layer. Center second layer on top of first layer with topside down, and repeat process on each layer. On final top layer before the frosting is added, use both hands and press firmly but gently, all layers together to get one firm cake. With spatula, spread remainder of frosting to cover top and sides of cake. Garnish top with some finely chopped nuts, then refrigerate.