Carrot Applesauce Layer Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour (spoon-and-sweep)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup store-bought unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature
2/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
2/3 cup walnuts (optional)
1 cup finely shredded carrots

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 deg. Line the bottoms of two 9x2-inch round cake pans with parchment or wax paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and cloves onto a piece of wax paper; set aside. Combine applesauce and shredded carrots; set aside.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle blade, beat the butter on medium speed until it is lighter in color, about 45 seconds. Add the sugar in a steady stream, then stop the machine and scrape down the bowl. Return to medium speed and beat, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture is very light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. One at a time, beat in the eggs, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla.

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of the applesauce mixture. After each addition, beat just until smooth and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gently fold in the raisins and nuts. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pans.

Bake until the tops spring back when the cakes are lightly pressed in the centers and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer to wire cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto the racks or plates and remove the pans. Peel off the paper liners and place them back on the layers, sticky sides up. Invert onto wire racks, right side up, and cool completely on the wax paper.