1. Preheat oven to 350F and spray two 9″ round cake pans with non-stick spray (I use the kind that contains flour).
2. In a large bowl, using your hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir the first nine ingredients (up until the salt) together until just combined.
3. Add the oil and the eggs, and beat at medium speed until the batter is smooth.
4. Chop/grind the carrots in a food processor until broken up into tiny chunks. Alternately, you can use your cheese/box grater to grate the carrots.
5. Add the carrots and beat at medium-high speed until combined.
6. Divide the batter into the cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Once removed from the oven, set the pans aside on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Then, remove the cakes from the pans and place them on the rack, so they can finish cooling off while you make the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Using a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract together at medium-high speed.
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time and beat at medium speed until smooth.
3. Place one of the cakes on a plate and spread 1/3 of the cream cheese frosting on top. Place the second layer on top and use the rest of the frosting to ice the cake.
4. Decorate to your heart’s content — you can add some ground nutmeg on top, chopped pecans, or shredded coconut!