Carrot Cake with Chai Frosting

Preheat oven to 350º.
Cut out 3 parchment circles, each the size of the bottom of a 9” x 1-1/2” round cake pan. Grease and flour the sides of the pans. Put one dot of butter in the center of the pan. Put parchment into the bottom of the pan.
Put nuts into a food processor and using the steel blade process into very small pieces. Remove to a small bowl. Put cooked carrots into the processor and process, scraping down until carrots are finely pureed. Measure 1-1/2 cups of the carrots and then eat the remainder or put into a stew or soup. Reserve the measured carrots.
In mixing bowl, beat dates until pasty. Scrape down and then add the butter and cream until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream. Add eggs one at a time, creaming after each one. Add vanilla and then cream again.
Take 3 T of the flour and toss it around the raisins. Take the rest of the flour and mix it in a small bowl with the soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger allspice and salt. Add the mixed dry ingredients to the butter /sugar mixture alternating with the carrot puree. Scrap down and beat after each addition. Mix in the raisins with any flour left in the bowl and then mix in the nuts.
Batter will be very thick. Pour evenly into the prepared pans and bake 25-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the layer comes out wet but clean.
Let cool before frosting.

for frosting Put butter and cream cheese into a mixing bowl and cream until fluffy. Add chai, vanilla and lemon rind and continue to cream until frosting lightens in color so that it is much lighter than the cake. Place the first layer on your dish and frost the top only. Place the second layer on top of this and frost the top only. Place the final layer on top and frost the top only.