Set your oven to 350°F. Grease your cake pans with butter or cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. This ensures your cake never sticks to the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and sugar. Add the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Make sure there are no large lumps. This helps the cake rise evenly in the oven.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and oil together. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. The mixture should look smooth and pale. This base makes the cake very tender.

Slowly add the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing can make the cake tough and chewy.

Use a spatula to fold in the grated carrots. Add the drained pineapple and chopped pecans. Stir gently until they are spread throughout the batter. It will look very thick.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean. Your kitchen will smell like cinnamon and sugar.

Let the cakes sit in the pans for 10 minutes. Then, turn them out onto wire racks. They must be completely cold before frosting. Warm cake will melt the cream cheese.

Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar slowly. Whip until the frosting is light and fluffy. It should look like white clouds.

Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread a thick layer of frosting on top. Place the second layer over it. Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

Sprinkle extra pecans on top if you like. You can also press nuts into the sides. Slice the cake into generous pieces. Serve it with a cold glass of milk.