• Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
• Grease & lightly flour two 8-inch (20 cm) pans & line them with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
  2½ cups all-purpose flour (320g), 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
• In another bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, sugar, and eggs.
  1 cup granulated sugar (200g), 1 cup light brown sugar (200g), ½ cup light vegetable oil (125ml), ½ cup milk (125ml), 3 eggs
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until well-combined and the batter doesn't have any lumps.
• Gently fold in the shredded carrots and mix to combine thoroughly. We want to be gentle with the batter so the cake doesn't get dense.
  3 cups grated carrots, packed (about 6 large carrots), peeled first (400g)
• Then pour the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.
• Bake the cakes for about 40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Then remove them from the pans and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• If you want to create a flat surface, you can level the cooled cakes with a large serrated knife or a cake leveler (I love nibbling on the tops!).

Make the cream cheese frosting

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on high speed for about 5 minutes, until it's creamy and fluffy.
  ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (113g)
• Then gradually add the powdered sugar. I usually add it in 2 or 3 batches.
  3 cups sifted powdered sugar (360g), plus an extra ½ cup if needed (60g)
• Add the vanilla and cream cheese and mix until everything is just combined. Don't overmix or the frosting could become too runny.
  1 teaspoon vanilla, 8 oz full fat cream cheese (226g)
• If your frosting is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar and place it in the refrigerator to thicken. If it's too thick, you can add a little milk, a teaspoon at a time, to thin it out.
  a few teaspoons of milk (optional)

Assemble & frost the cake

• Place a cake layer on a platter or a cake stand. Top with half of the frosting. Place the other cake layer on top and use the remaining frosting to frost the top. Decorate with whole walnuts or pecans, if using.
  about 20 whole walnuts or pecans (optional)
• Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to about 5-6 days.
• Enjoy!