Hands-On Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes Yields: 8-12 servings

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• Cooking spray
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 cup (2 sticks), at room temperature, divided
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup finely chopped pitted dates (about 9 medium dates)
• 1 lb carrots, grated (3 cups packed), plus 1-2 whole carrots for garnish
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans

For the frosting:

• 1 lb cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 lb confectioners' sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Bake the cake: Turn on the oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms with parchment paper after greasening three 8-inch round cake pans.
2. Combine the dry components. Whisking the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a basin will produce
3. Stir the wet components: Whisk the brown, granulated sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, vanilla until blended in a different bowl. Add chopped dates, cutting apart any big clusters.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and whisk until just blended; add carrots and pecans. Stir the chopped pecans and grated carrots in.
5. Divide the batter equally among the ready-made pans and then level it. Baker until a wooden pick put in the middle comes out clean, 28 to 32 minutes. After ten minutes of cool in the pans, move to wire racks to cool totally.
6. Create the icing. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed for one minute until creamy, beat the cream cheese and butter together. Slower the pace to low and progressively add the sugar. Beat in salt and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium and beat until, roughly two minutes, light and fluffy.
7. Arange the cake such that one layer sits on a stand or platter and is topped with one cup of icing. Shared to the margins. Proceed similarly in the second layer. Add the final layer, then cover sides and top with one cup of frosting. Chill for half an hour till the icing settles. Top and side of the cake should have the leftover frosting distributed.
8. Peel the entire carrots long ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Tightly shape the ribbons in rose form. Top the cake with the carrot roses and sprinkle fresh mint leaves over everything.