Delicious Carrot Cake with Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting

2 c. grated carrots
1/4 c. spiced rum
2 snack-size boxes of raisins
1 c. light brown sugar
4 eggs
1/2 c. applesauce
1 - 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, drained
3 c. all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
4 T. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/3 c. 10 x powdered sugar
2 T. bourbon
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Mix grated carrots and 1 c. brown sugar. Pour rum over raisins in a small bowl. Allow both to set for 1 hour (I soaked my raisins in the refridgerator overnight).
2. Beat 4 eggs together until they become light yellow in color.
3. Slowly add sugar and applesauce.
4. Stir in pineapple.
5. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
6. Stir in flour mixture, just until dry ingredients are moistened.
7. Stir rum, raisins and carrot mixture together. Scoop out the raisins and carrots and add to cake batter. Do not add the liquid.
8. Fold in to batter.
9. Grease and flour 2 - 10" cake pans (DO NOT USE DARK CAKE PANS! THE EDGES WILL GET TOO CRISPY AND THEY COULD BURN!). I use non-stick spray with flour. You can find it in your "oil" aisle at the grocer.
10. Bake for 35-50 minutes (until cakes spring back to the touch or when toothpick comes out clean).
11. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks and cool for an additional 10-20 minutes. Do not frost cakes until completely cool.

Frosting:

Prepare frosting while carrots and raisins are soaking and then put in fridge to thicken.

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter. Make sure they are WELL blended! No lumps!
2. Add powdered sugar, 1/3 c. at a time.
3. Add bourbon and pumpkin pie spice.
4. Mix until smooth and refridgerate until ready to use.
5. Frost cake with an off-set cake spatula (the shape makes it very fast and easy to do).
6. Place cake on top of 2 pieces of parchment paper or wax paper so that you don't make a mess of your plate.
7. Apply frosting to first layer and spread nearly to edges.
8. Add 2nd layer and frost the top.
9. Add frosting to edges of cake and quickly frost around the sides of cake as the frosting "drips" over the sides.
10. Carefully remove parchment paper (place cake spatula gently under cake and slowly lift, if necessary).
 Enjoy!