A new twist on carrot cake

Our garden has been generous this year with a few things. Green peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, parsnips and carrots. Lots and lots of carrots. I like plain ol' carrots with my dinner as much as anyone, but I can never pass up the opportunity to make a tasty carrot cake. I found this recipe in a Taste of Home a few years ago and every time I've made it since, it's been a hit. I made a couple of additions from the original version, which I will italicize.

3 cups shredded carrots

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 cup oil

3 eggs

2 cups flour

2 t. baking soda

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. cloves

1/2 t. ginger

1 t. salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar (I made it with this amount yesterday, and in the future I think I'll increase it to 1/3 cup)

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup butter

2 t. vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat the wet ingredients for the cake. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients except the nuts, and gradually beat into the wet ingredients until well combined, then stir in the nuts. Set aside. In a small bowl, beat the filling ingredients until smooth. Avoid beating too much air in or it will float to the top during cooking (found that one out the hard way...).

Grease a bundt pan and pour 3 cups of the batter in. Spoon the cream cheese filling in a ring on top of the batter, taking care to keep it centered and not touching the sides. Carefully pour the remaining batter on top, making sure it covers all of the cream cheese filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool ten minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely, then beat the frosting ingredients together. Put the cake on a nice serving plate, slather it with the good gooey stuff and eat to your heart's content. Store remaining portion (if there is any) in the refrigerator.