The Best Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS

large eggs

cup pumpkin puree (use the remainder in these recipes)

3/4 cup

granulated sugar

1/4 cup

light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup

canola or vegetable oil

tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp

vanilla extract

1 tsp

cinnamon

1/4 tsp

ground cloves

1 cup

grated carrots, loosely packed (grate yourself using the coarsest blade of a box grater; don’t use pre-packaged convenience bags of carrots)

1 cup

all-purpose flour

1 tsp

baking powder

1/2 tsp

baking soda

1/2 tsp

salt, or to taste

1 cup

raisins, optional (or 1 cup chopped nuts, or 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup chopped nuts)

6 oz

cream cheese, softened (lite okay)

1/4 cup

(half of 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups

confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp

vanilla extract

1/2 tsp

salt, or to taste