Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two 8-inch round cake pans with rounds of parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.

Make the cake batter. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.

Combine grated carrots, both sugars and eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric handheld mixer on medium speed until combined. Add oil, yogurt and maple syrup and beat until evenly blended.

Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Do not over-mix. Add walnuts and raisins (if you choose to use them) and fold them in until evenly distributed.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake for 28-32 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert the cakes onto the rack to cool completely.

Combine soft butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl and mix for about 2 minutes on medium speed until very smooth and fluffy.

Cut the block of soft cream cheese into small ½-¾ inch cubes and mix it in 2-3 pieces at a time until fully incorporated, thick, fluffy and pale in color.

Add lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix until evenly combined, then mix in remaining powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth, fluffy and very creamy.

Reserve about 3 tablespoons of frosting to make the little carrot decorations if you wish.

Place one layer of cake onto a serving plate and use an offset spatula to spread about 1 cup of frosting over top leaving about ½-inch border. Place the second layer on top and press it down gently to stick to the bottom layer.

Spread a thin layer of frosting over the whole cake. Chill for 15 minutes. Dollop the remaining frosting on top of the cake and spread it out from the top working your way out to the edges and then down the sides again.

To decorate, reserve about 3 tablespoons of frosting. Place 2 tablespoons into a small bowl and add a little orange food coloring. Place 1 tablespoon into another small bowl and stir in a little green food coloring. Use a zip-top plastic bag to pipe little carrots on top.