• Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, making sure it covers the bottom and sides. Lightly grease the paper to help with easy removal later.

Make the crumble topping:

• In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon until everything is well combined and free of clumps. Add the melted butter and mix with a fork until the mixture becomes crumbly—like wet sand. Set this aside for later.

Prepare the dry ingredients

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Assemble & Bake:

• In a larger bowl, whisk the melted butter with both sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth—make sure you don’t see any sugar grains or streaks of egg.
• Next, stir in the shredded carrots, well-drained pineapple, and sour cream until fully incorporated.
• Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula or wooden spoon. Mix until you no longer see dry patches of flour. The batter will be on the thicker side.
• Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan. Then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top, making sure to use smaller pieces so they stay on the surface while baking.
• Bake in the center of your oven for about 25 to 32 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. If you’re unsure, give it a couple more minutes—it’s a very moist cake and won’t dry out easily.
• Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before serving. Keep in mind, because of the topping, the surface might not bake into a perfect dome and that’s totally okay!

Glaze (optional)

• In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, cream and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Adjust the consistency by adding a bit more powdered sugar or liquid as needed—the glaze should be pourable but still opaque. If you're using cream, you might need slightly more than with milk due to its thicker texture.
• Once the cake has cooled, lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang. Gently drizzle the glaze over the top. For clean slices, use a sharp knife to cut through the crumb layer. You should end up with about 20 square bars, perfect for sharing—or not!