TOWERING PRALINE CARROT CAKE WITH CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan cook carrots, covered, in a moderate amount of boiling water about 20 minutes or until vert tender. Drain. Cool slightly. Chop in a food processor using several on-off turns, or coarsely mash with potato msher (should have about 1 1/2 cups).
• Grease and lightly flour three 9x1 1/2-inch round cake pans; set aside. (If you only have two pans, prepare two layers and refrigerate remaining third of batter. When the first two are done baking and removed from pans, wash, grease, and lightly flour one pan; bake the remaining batter.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Make a well in center of dry ingredients.
• Add oil, eggs, pineapple, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed about 1 minute until all ingredients are combined. Fold in mashed carrots, the 1 cup pecans, and the coconut. Spread batter evenly into prepared pans.
• Bake the layers for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Using a small spatula or table knife loosen edges and remove from pans. Bake remaining layer, if necessary. Cool cakes thoroughly on wire racks.
• While the cake is cooling, prepare Praline Sauce, Candied Pecans, and Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.
• To assemble, place one of the cooled cake layers, top side up, on cake plate. Use about 1 cup of the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting to pipe or spoon a rim about 1-inch wide and 1/2-inch high around outer edge of cake layer. Spoon about 2 tablespoons fromsting in the center leaving an unfrostined "ring".
• Spoon and spread about half of the Praline Sauce filling into the unfrosted ring (sauce will not fill ring).
• Add a second cake layer, top side up, and repeat frosting and filling steps using Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and Praline Sauce.
• Add final cake layer, top side up. Frost top and sides of alyers with remaining frosting.
• Garnish top with Candied Pecans. Store cake in the refrigerator.