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moist carrot cake with brown butter frosting - featured image

Moist Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

  • Author: Saly
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x

Description

A deeply moist carrot cake featuring a rich, nutty brown butter cream cheese frosting that solves the common dryness problem found in traditional recipes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups grated fresh carrots (~450g)
  • 1 cup vegetable oil (240ml)
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar (300g)
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar (200g)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (toasted, ~100g)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (226g) for frosting
  • 16 oz full-fat block cream cheese (450g) for frosting
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60g) for frosting

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar vigorously for 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in vanilla.
  4. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold in grated carrots and toasted walnuts.
  5. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. For frosting, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty (5-7 minutes). Pour into a heatproof bowl and cool to room temperature.
  8. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in a stand mixer until smooth. Slowly add cooled brown butter and beat on high for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
  9. Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread frosting on top, add second layer, and frost top and sides with remaining frosting.

Notes

Do not use pre-shredded carrots as they are dry. Ensure brown butter is completely cooled to room temperature before adding to cream cheese to prevent separation. Cake stays moist for days and freezes well.

  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 480
  • Sugar: 45
  • Sodium: 350
  • Fat: 28
  • Saturated Fat: 12
  • Carbohydrates: 55
  • Fiber: 2
  • Protein: 6

Keywords: carrot cake, brown butter frosting, moist carrot cake, cream cheese frosting, baking, dessert, walnut cake

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Find it online: https://warmdinnerrecipes.com/moist-carrot-cake-brown-butter-trick/