The Best Carrot Cake

Who doesn't love a really moist carrot cake with a brown butter cream cheese frosting? It has all the yummy spices that come with carrot cake, but when you brown the butter and add it to a tangy cream cheese frosting it takes it over the top with so much flavor!

WHAT MAKES THIS CARROT CAKE WITH BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING SO GOOD

Carrot cake has been a favorite of mine for so long. I think anything that's packed with cinnamon and other warm spices just seems to work for me. But I was used to always eating it with cream cheese frosting, and that isn't my favorite, so I decided to brown the butter and then I fell in love! It's so good.

Other than needing to grate your carrots, this cake really comes together so quick. You don't even need a mixer, you could just mix it in any bowl.

Another thing I really love about carrot cake is how long it lasts. The carrots make it so moist and keeps it fresh for days.

WHAT INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED

• Carrots
• Eggs
• Granulated Sugar
• Canola oil
• Buttermilk
• Vanilla
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Cloves
• Cream cheese
• Butter
• Powdered sugar

HOW TO MAKE THE CARROT CAKE

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of 3 eight inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl whisk together carrots, eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla.
3. In a seperate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, flour, powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined.
4. Pour batter evenly into 3 cake pans. This seems to weigh about 645g per pan for me.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.  Transfer the baking pans to a wire cooling rack and let the cakes cool until they reach room temperature.

HOW TO MAKE THE BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1. Brown the butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Once done, pour into a measuring cup or bowl and place in the fridge to solidify again. Should take about an hour.
2. Cream together chilled brown butter and softened cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and mix again.
3. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating in between each. If after adding all the powdered sugar you think its too thick, feel free to add a tablespoon or two of whipping cream or milk to get desired consistency.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

1. Place one of the cake layers, top side up, on a cake plate or serving stand. Spread a small amount of frosting over the first layer.
2. Place the second cake layer, top side up, on top of the frosting. Repeat spreading a small amount of frosting again over the second layer.
3. Place final cake layer, top side down.
4. Frost the entire cake, top and sides, with a thin crumb coat layer of the cream cheese frosting. Place in the fridge or freezer for about 10-15 minutes to chill.
5. Pull the chilled cake out, and frost the cake with the remaining frosting.  
6. Feel free to top the cake with some toasted coconut or chopped nut for more depth.

HOW TO STORE THE CAKE

Carrot cake should be stored in the fridge. I like to store it in a cake carrier so it doesn’t dry out. Then let sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving. Or of course you can eat it cold, I like it that way too.

HOW LONG WILL THIS CARROT CAKE LAST?

Carrot cake can last in the fridge for about 5 days. The carrots help to keep it extra moist.

You can also store leftover slices in the freezer. I just wrap each slice in some saran wrap and then foil and it will keep just fine for a few months.

CAN I ADD NUTS OR RAISINS

Yes, nuts or raisins can be added without needing to alter this recipe at all.

For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment below if you make them and love them as much as I do.

Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

brooke

This is a classic carrot cake with a brown butter cream cheese frosting. It's moist, loaded with fresh carrots, lots of spices and an over the top addictive frosting.

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16

Calories 726 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the Cake:

• 1 lb carrots grated or finely shredded
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1½ cups canola oil
• ⅓ cup buttermilk room temperature
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon cloves

For the Frosting:

• 16 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 1 cup butter browned
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

To make the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of 3 eight inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together carrots, eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla.
• In a seperate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, flour, powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined.
• Pour batter evenly into 3 cake pans. This seems to weigh about 645g per pan for me.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.  Transfer the baking pans to a wire cooling rack and let the cakes cool until they reach room temperature.

To make the frosting:

• Brown the butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Once done, pour into a measuring cup or bowl and place in the fridge to solidify again. Should take about an hour.
• Cream together chilled brown butter and softened cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and mix again.
• Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating in between each. If after adding all the powdered sugar you think its too thick, feel free to add a tablespoon or two of whipping cream or milk to get desired consistency.

To assemble cake:

• Place one of the cake layers, top side up, on a cake plate or serving stand. Spread a small amount of frosting over the first layer.
• Place the second cake layer, top side up, on top of the frosting. Repeat spreading a small amount of frosting again over the second layer.
• Place final cake layer, top side down.
• Frost the entire cake, top and sides, with a thin crumb coat layer of the cream cheese frosting. Place in the fridge or freezer for about 10-15 minutes to chill.
• Pull the chilled cake out, and frost the cake with the remaining frosting.  

Notes

Cakes will have the best results if made with room temperature ingredients. I like to pull my eggs, cream cheese, and butter out of the fridge an hour or two before I start baking. 

You can either grate fresh carrots by hand with a box grater or grate them with a food processor by using the shredding disk.

 

I know some people love nuts in their carrot cake, It will not affect the recipe if you wanted to add a cup or two of nuts. Or top the cake with some chopped pecans too for some added texture.

Make Ahead Instructions: The frosting can easily be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in a sealed container. Remove frosting from the fridge an hour before you’re ready to frost the cake, to give it time to come to room temperature.

Freezing Instructions: After baking the cake layers, allow them to cool completely, then wrap them well in plastic wrap and stick each layer in a ziplock freezer bag. They can be frozen for a few months. I usually just pull them out of the freezer once I am starting to make my frosting, or an hour or two before I want to assemble.

I have given both cups and grams as measurements. Grams will be more precise, especially when measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, no problem! Just lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup to insure its not packed in there. Light and fluffy is the key.

Nutrition

Calories: 726kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 6gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 555mgPotassium: 188mgFiber: 2gSugar: 57gVitamin A: 5548IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 2mg

Keyword brown butter, cake, carrots, cream cheese frosting

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