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Carrot cake is by far my favorite cake, and brown butter is by far my favorite way to elevate a dessert – so obviously this combo is by far one of my favorites. 🙂 The fact that it’s a one-bowl recipe doesn’t hurt, either!
As always, the words aren’t what anyone is here for so let’s get straight into the Best Carrot Cake ever.
Ingredients
for the cake:
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 0.5 cups light brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1.5 cups canola or vegetable oil
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups grated carrots
- Optional: 0.5 cups chopped walnuts
for the frosting:
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 2 8oz packs cream cheese, room temp
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- splash of vanilla extract
Directions:
for the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, both sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, & cinnamon.Â
- Add in the eggs, oil and vanilla. Whisk until no clumps of flour remain. I typically switch to a rubber spatula and combine everything well. The batter will be extremely thick and glossy.
- Fold in the grated carrots until they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour the batter into a greased + parchment-lined sheet pan* or divide it into 3 greased + lined cake pans*.
- Bake at 350F for 25-32 minutes, until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. The time will depend on the size of the pan you’re using.
- Cool for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pan and moving to a wire rack to cool fully before frosting.
for the frosting:
- Place the butter in a small saucepan and brown over medium heat.
- Pour the browned butter into a bowl and place into the freezer for about 20 minutes, until the butter is mostly solidified.Â
- Use an electric hand-mixer to cream the stiffened brown butter in a large mixing bowl until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Add in the room temperature cream cheese and cream until well combined.
- Throw in the powdered sugar + splash of vanilla and combine until the frosting comes together.Â
- Spread or pipe the frosting on your cooled cake as you please + enjoy!
Notes:
– this cake batter can be used to make 1Â thick or thin sheet cake, as well as a three layer 6-inch or 8inch cake. I’ve linked my favorite pans for whatever size you’re looking to bake.
– if making an 8 inch cake, this amount of frosting will work for a naked cake. Otherwise, I would 1.5x or double the recipe to be sure there’s enough frosting to cover the entire cake fully.Â
-storage: this cake keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days but is best served at room temp; I like to to take it out of the refrigerator at least an hour before serving to allow it to soften up.
-make ahead: the entire cake can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for a few days. You can also bake the cake, allow it to cool fully and wrap it up tightly with plastic wrap to store on the counter for up to 24 hours before frosting and serving.
One Response
I love this!!! The best