• Preheat oven to 350°F then grease and line two 9” cake pans.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger and nutmeg. Stirring to combine, set aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl add the brown sugar, mayonnaise, apple sauce, water, maple syrup and vanilla extract, and whisk until fully combined.
• Add the shredded carrots and stir to combine.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir using a wooden spoon until fully incorporated and a batter-like consistency is reached.
• Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Carefully turn each cake onto a cooling rack and let cool fully (about 1 hour) before frosting and decorating.
• While the cakes are cooling, prepare the cream cheese buttercream frosting.
• Once the cakes are fully cooled, they then can be assembled and decorated using the prepared frosting.

Decorating the Cake

• Once the cake is completely cool, transfer one layer to a cake board, or flat plate.
• Add a generous dollop of cream cheese buttercream frosting on top and spread it out in an even layer using an offset or regular spatula.
• Add the second cake layer on top of the frosting layer, pressing gently to adhere. Cover the rest of the cake in frosting. See above for frosting and decorating tips.
• Let the cake set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours before serving.