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
- 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.
HOW TO MAKE THE BROWN BUTTER CREAM CHEESE 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.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE 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.
- 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
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.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 lb (453.59 g) carrots grated or finely shredded
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1½ cups (336 g) canola oil
- ⅓ cup (80 g) buttermilk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3¼ cups (460 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon (1.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ginger
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) cloves
For the Frosting:
- 16 oz (453.59 g) cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup (227 g) butter browned
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla
- 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 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
If baking cupcakes fill the liners ¾ of the way full and bake at 350 for 18-24 minutes. This recipe would yield about 32 cupcakes.
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
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Alexi Kelly
WOW! This is the first time I have ever made a cake and this recipe made me look like an expert! This carrot cake has the perfect blend of carrot, spices and the delicious browned butter frosting to tie it all together. Better than carrot cake that I have had at restaurants and bakeries. I will definitely be making this again and again!!
brooke
YAY!! That is the ultimate compliment. So glad you loved it and will make it again!
Mallory
My family loved this recipe! My daughter wanted to make carrot cake on a whim and this was perfect-simple steps and ingredients, so easy to follow, but utterly delicious! Brooke does it again!
Bekah
All I can say is this cake turned carrot cake haters into carrot cake lovers!
brooke
I LOVE this!!! Mission accomplished!
Cristina Romig
how far in advance can I make this without having to freeze it? Want it for Easter Sunday. All of your recipes are a hit when I make them!! Xx
brooke
Ideally the day before, I think cake always tastes best on the second day, but 2 days in advance would be just fine too!
Amanda Smith
The Salted Sweets has become my “go-to” for finding the best dessert recipes and this one did not disappoint. I made it for a family Easter party yesterday and everyone agreed it was the BEST carrot cake they had ever had. The browned butter cream cheese - was quite literally the icing on the cake. Absolute perfection.
brooke
I'm so happy to hear that!! Thank you so much!
Marlena
Do you think I could make this with gluten free 1:1 baking flour?
brooke
I haven't tried this particular recipe yet, so I'm not sure. I know plenty of people use a lot of my recipes with a 1:1 GF flour and have success though. Please let me know how it works if you try!
Jamee
Have you tried this cake in a 9x13? I don't have cake pans to make it in!
brooke
I haven't myself, but it will work fine!
Jules
Just made this for my sister who requested a gluten free carrot cake. It was amazing and loved by all! I used the King Arthur Gluten Free flour and you would not have known it was gluten free. I did have some trouble with small butter clumps in the frosting- I took it out of fridge after doing the brown butter process and it was hardened and cold - should I have done something different there? I was able to get it smooth eventually but figure I did something wrong. Regardless it was all fantastic- and my first carrot cake I ever made!
Amy L
Can I put this in a bundt pan?
Allie
Have these been done as cupcakes? Looks delish and would love to try for Easter.
Brooke Homec
yes, it works great for cupcakes as well!