Step 1

In a small saucepan, add the raisins and cover with water (or rum). Place on low heat and simmer while you prepare your cake batter.

Step 2

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan or two 8 inch round pans.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, add your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt. Mix thoroughly to ensure that you have no clumps of any single ingredient.

Step 4

Peel your carrots and grate them either using your food processor's grating blade or a hand grater. Grate until you have 3 cups of shredded carrot. You do not need to pack it down to get to the three cups.

Step 5

In a separate bowl, crack your eggs and whisk them together. Once they are fairly well beaten, slowly add the oil to your eggs, while continuing to whisk so that your oil is emulsified into your eggs. This will help add some body to your cake.

Step 6

Drain your raisins and set aside.

Step 7

Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until most of the flour is absorbed. Add the carrots and raisins and stir again just until they are incorporated into your batter. It will be a fairly thick batter.

Step 8

Pour your carrot cake batter into your prepped pans. Place into your 350 degree oven and bake for 35-38 minutes for the 9x13 pan or 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool thoroughly before frosting.