Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
This classic carrot cake recipe is super moist and is layered with fluffy, nutty brown butter frosting.
Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cups walnut or almond flour
- 2 teas baking powder
- 1 teas baking soda
- 1 teas cinnamon
- ½ teas salt
- ¼ teas nutmeg
- ¼ teas all spice
- ¾ cup canola oil
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup crushed pineapple or applesauce
- 3 cups shredded carrots
Brown Butter Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons
- 2 to 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 to 3 tablespoon milk
- 2 teas pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans and set aside.
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, nut flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, stir together the oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs and whisk until fully combined and the batter begins to lighten in color.
- Working in two batches, stir in the dry ingredients until incorporated. It is okay if a few streaks of flour remain visible.
- Add the pineapple and shredded carrots. Fold until combined.
- Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before removing the cakes from their pans. Allow cakes to completely cool before filling and frosting.
Brown Butter Frosting
- Place ¾ cup (170 g) butter in a light-colored saucepan and melt over high heat. Once the butter begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Stirring every so often to keep the milk solids from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan, continue to cook the butter until it turns an amber-colored brown and the milk solids have darkened. This will take 5 to 8 minutes. It is done when the brown butter smells nutty and toasty. Pour the brown butter into a heat-safe container.
- Allow the butter to re-solidify on the counter or chill in the refrigerator until it solidifies but remains soft, about 1 hour. It should be the consistency of softened butter when ready to turn into frosting. Meanwhile, remove the remaining butter from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.
- When ready, add the brown butter and remaining butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer). Mix on low speed until the butter is creamy. Stop the mixer and add in the confectioners' sugar. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
- Add a tablespoon of milk and mix to combine. Bump up the mixer speed to medium-high speed and mix until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and more milk, a tablespoon at a time, and mix until smooth. When done, it should be smooth and spreadable.
To Assemble
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Pile on half of the buttercream and spread flat with an offset spatula. Place the second layer of cake on top. Ice the top of the cake with the remaining frosting. For a rustic finish, make swirls on top by drawing “C’s” and “S’s” with the tip of an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
Notes
- Serve and store at room temperature for up to two days. Keep any remaining leftovers after that point in the refrigerator for an additional day or two.
- If you’d like the cake to be nut-free, substitute the walnut or almond flour with ⅓ cup all-purpose flour.
- You may try substituting the pineapple with 1 cup of mashed banana or 1 cup of plain yogurt.