1-Melt ¾ cup unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally until nutty brown solids form. Scrape the butter and bits into a large bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes.

2-Whisk in the 2 cups grated carrots, ½ cup applesauce, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 4 large eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until smooth.

3-In a separate bowl, sift together 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg.

4-Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk for 10-15 seconds until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

5-Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or about 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

6-Place the pan on a cooling rack and let it cool for 15 minutes. Remove the sides if using a tube pan, or turn out from a bundt pan, then cool completely before frosting.