Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: The carrot cake is perfectly sweet, nutty, and perfectly spiced, while the frosting is rich and tangy.
Texture: Ultra moist and tender with that luscious frosting in every single bite.
Ease: Totally doable, promise!
Pros: My go-to carrot cake recipe.
Cons: None beyond the usual layer cake cons: it’s more time-consuming and messy than say cupcakes.
Would I make this again? Absolutely.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
This Brown Butter Carrot Cake is easily one of the most incredible cakes I’ve ever tried – and that’s really saying something, coming from this chocoholic!
As a kid, the last cake you wanted was carrot cake. Well… maybe right behind fruit cake.
As an adult, I’ve liked carrot cake fine. But it wasn’t until I had a slice of AMAZING carrot cake from a little café called Fragments in Paris that I realized just how good it could be.
So I decided to elevate my existing favorite recipe for Perfect Carrot Cupcakes into a show-stopping layer cake.
I found the idea of browning butter for carrot cake especially compelling. Since nuts are a common fixture and a clear complement to carrot cake, the idea of adding more sweet nutty flavor in the form of browned butter just made sense. Plus, by browning the butter, you only have to use your mixer for the icing!
Not to mention the brown butter helps make the cake super rich and moist. That plus the brown sugar, applesauce, and carrots (of course!).
Plenty of warm spices in the batter and then another extra dash of cinnamon in the cream cheese frosting really round everything out.
Plus, slicing the two cake layers in half for a four-layer cake isn’t just impressive to look at – it means MORE FROSTING!
Sprinkle of Science
Brown Butter Carrot Cake Recipe Tips
How to Brown Butter
A skillet works better than a saucepan for browning butter because there’s more surface area for the brown bits to develop. Here’s how to brown butter for carrot cake:
- In a medium skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises.
- Once the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom.
- Once the bits are amber in color, about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl, then set it aside to cool completely.
- Learn all my tips and tricks for browning butter in my How to Brown Butter article here.
What Are the Best Baking Pans For Cakes?
My favorite cake pans are these Fat Daddio’s pans. Never use dark-colored nonstick cake pans. They conduct heat too aggressively and often lead to hard dry edges and undercooked or sunken centers.
How to *Properly* Prepare Carrots for Carrot Cake
- Fresh carrots only: For extra moist carrot cake, shred fresh carrots – no pre-shredded packaged ones. Freshly grated carrots are more flavorful and more moist!
- Farmer’s markets: Whenever possible, buy your carrots at the farmer’s market. They’re SO much sweeter!
- Coarse grating: Don’t grate your carrots too finely. You want to have carrot ‘confetti’ in your cake, so the bigger holes on your box grate work better.
- If you have one, use your food processor: You can also use your food processor’s grating attachment to make the task of grating quicker and easier.
- Buy extra: 3 cups of freshly shredded carrots equals about 4 medium carrots, but definitely buy extra just in case.
Do I Have to Add Nuts to the Carrot Cake?
I added pecans or walnuts as an option for this Brown Butter Carrot Cake since that’s fairly traditional – but you can just leave them out if you prefer. They add a nice crunchy texture, but also a bit of savory flavor to contrast the sweetness. You could also experiment with adding in a few tablespoons of raisins, if you’d like.
Why is There Applesauce in the Carrot Cake?
This isn’t here as a healthy addition, necessarily, but it does allow us to get away with using a little less butter. Applesauce in carrot cake helps provide tender moisture and a nice sweet, fruity flavor to complement the carrots. You don’t really taste ‘apples’ – just freshness.
Carrot Cake Spices
- This recipe is written for a well-rounded flavor, with the spices harmoniously balancing out the brown sugar, cream cheese, and other ingredients.
- Please note that new spices are much more flavorful, and older spices carry less flavor – so adjust accordingly based on the age of your spices.
- If your spices are expired, toss them and purchase new ones – otherwise your cake may be bland.
How to Tell When Brown Butter Carrot Cake is Done Baking
The Brown Butter Carrot Cake is done baking when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
The Best Frosting for Carrot Cake
Arguably the best part of carrot cake! Here are my best cream cheese frosting tips:
- Cool room temperature ingredients: For the best and creamiest frosting, be sure your cream cheese and butter are at room temperature.
- Cream cheese: Be sure to use full-fat bricks of cream cheese. Don’t use reduced-fat cream cheese or the kind that’s meant for spreading on bagels.
- Scrape the bowl: Beat them together in a large bowl until completely smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of your bowl often, until there are no lumps. Even if you have a paddle attachment that scrapes the sides as it goes, I still recommend scraping down the paddle and especially the bottom of the bowl, to ensure no lumps.
- Sift: Don’t skip sifting the powdered sugar! It’s a pain, but it’s necessary to ensure smooth frosting.
- Vanilla paste: For those beautiful vanilla speckles, use vanilla paste over vanilla extract.
How to Assemble Brown Butter Carrot Cake
In this recipe, we take 2 cake layers and cut them in half horizontally, for a total of 4 layers. Because if carrot cake is one thing, it’s a vehicle for cream cheese frosting! Feel free to skip this step (and you likely won’t need all the frosting), but it’s much more fun and more of a beautiful centerpiece as a 4-layer masterpiece!
To cut each cake layer, use a cake leveler or serrated knife. A cake leveler makes your layers absolutely perfect. If you bake cakes often, consider investing in one!
How to Decorate Brown Butter Carrot Cake:
- Simplicity: The cream cheese frosting is a little looser than your classic buttercream, so you won’t be able to do intricate detailed designs. I personally prefer a more basic or even ‘naked cake’ look for carrot cake anyway.
- Nuts: A border of chopped nuts on top of the cake makes a simple yet elegant final garnish. Feel free to add more chopped nuts as a bottom border, too, if you wish.
- Cute details: If you want to have a little fun, check out my article on how to make decorative edible carrots.
Can You Make This Best Carrot Cake Recipe Into Cupcakes?
Almost any cake recipe can be turned into cupcakes. Check out my full guide on how to convert a cake into cupcakes (and vice versa!) – or check out my Carrot Cupcakes recipe here.
How Can I Make Carrot Cake Ahead of Time?
Wrap cooled, uncut, unfrosted carrot cake layers in several layers of plastic wrap and place inside an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Check out the freezing instructions below if you need to store longer.
Does Carrot Cake Need to be Refrigerated? How to Store Carrot Cake:
Yes, because of the cream cheese frosting, Carrot Cake does need to be stored in the fridge. You can keep the cake at room temperature for up to 6 hours, but if storing any longer, cover with a cake keeper and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Can You Freeze Carrot Cake?
Yes! Wrap cooled, unfrosted carrot cake layers in several layers of plastic wrap and place inside a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Don’t defrost at room temperature or you will end up with mushy, sticky cake.
More Spring Cake & Cupcake Recipes:
- Classic Carrot Cupcakes
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Strawberry Bundt Cake
- Angel Food Cake Recipe
- Vanilla Poppyseed Cake with Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
More Brown Butter Recipes:
- Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups
- Brown Butter Coffee Cake
- Brown Butter Peach Cobbler
Become a Baking Genius!
Sign up for our free email newsletter for NEW recipes & baking science secrets.
Brown Butter Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 cups (318 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cups (400 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (250 grams) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups (296 grams) finely shredded carrots* (about 4 medium carrots)
- 3/4 cup (84 grams) finely chopped walnuts or pecans
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 24 ounces (680 grams) cream cheese, completely softened
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, completely softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 5 cups (625 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises. Once the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Let cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
- To the browned butter, whisk in the brown sugar, then the eggs. Stir in the applesauce, vanilla, and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the nuts.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely before transferring to wire racks.
- Slice each cake layer in half for four layers using a cake leveler or serrated knife. Place layers in the fridge while you make the frosting.
Make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt on medium-high speed until very light, creamy, and smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. On low speed, gradually add in the sugar and beat until creamy.
Assemble the cake:
- Place one cake layer cut side up on a cake stand or platter. Spread about 1/4 of the frosting all over the cake layer, pushing it out over the edge just slightly. Repeat with the remaining layers. With an offset spatula, spread the remaining frosting evenly all over the cake, smoothing the edges.
- Serve or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
This post was originally published in 2020 and has been updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
I never leave reviews – but this came out so amazing that I had to come back and leave a review. It was moist, flavorful, and the frosting was amazing. Cannot wait to make this again.
Aw yay!! So happy to hear how much you loved this cake, thanks so much for taking the time to let us know! We appreciate it 🙂
Hi! Can i make this cake in a pound cake mold?
We haven’t tried that! Let us know how it goes if you do 🙂
Made this amazing cake for my daughter’s birthday yesterday. I used all purpose gluten free white flour “Red Mill” brand. It was fantastic and No one could tell it was gluten free! My daughter actually said it the best carrot cake she’s ever had!
Wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for choosing our recipe to celebrate your daughter’s birthday with, so glad the substitution worked perfectly 🙂
Can I turn this recipe into a sheet cake style rather than a 4 layer cake ? Also if I’m not making a 4 layer cake and making it just a smaller one like a 2 layer can I cut the frosting ingredients in half ?
Hi Nicole 🙂 We haven’t tried this as a sheet cake but other readers have had success! I’d suggest reading King Arthur Baking’s article on How to Make Sheet Cake from a Layer Cake recipe, but just really watch the timing as it bakes. You’re welcome to halve the frosting recipe too 🙂 Let us know how it goes!
This recipe takes a little longer than some, but it is sooooo worth it. It is amazing!!! I make it as cupcakes and take them to work. I get rave reviews. If I can just get a raise from making them, that would be epic!!
So happy to hear this recipe is such a hit, Carol!
Can you store the icing before using it on the cake? That’s going to be the easiest for travel but not sure if the icing will dry up?
Hi Megan, absolutely! Follow the instructions in the pink top box above our Cream Cheese Frosting recipe linked here. They’re a different recipe, but same instructions apply 🙂 Enjoy your cake!
What can I replace with applesauce?
We haven’t tried anything else; however, other reviewers have reported success with either grated apples or crushed pineapple. Hope that helps! Please let us know how it goes 🙂
Do you have any substitute for applesauce? Thanks
Hi Sharize! We haven’t tried anything else! Other reviewers have used grated apples or crushed pineapple with success. Hope that helps! Please let us know what you end up trying and how you liked it!
I forgot to add to my question (about baking it for my son’s first birthday), do you think it would look yucky if I added a little bit of green or blue coloring to the icing? any color you’d think would work out best?
Hi Lucia! Totally depends on your color preference 🙂 I’d suggest making the frosting, then separating a small amount to another bowl and experimenting with the color prior to adding the coloring to the entire batch of frosting. Then you can easily make changes 🙂 Let us know how it goes!
Thank you very much for your answer, Emily! ☺️
Hi Tessa! I loved this cake when I made it, but I made it without the cream cheese frosting. I want to make it again for my son’s first birthday and I wanted to ask you if the frosting is enough to cover the inside of three layers of a7 inch cake, the outside and also a few swirls on the top. Thank you!
We haven’t tried making this as a three layer 7-inch cake, only two 8-inch layers. As what you’re attempting is a larger cake, we’d suggest making a double batch (or a single batch plus half of another batch). It’s best to have too much frosting rather than too little!
Can you freeze already frosted cake slices?
Also I made this cake but I had a lot of frosting left over (an entire red topped rubbermaid container). My cakes didn’t rise much so I couldn’t really cut them in half. Did I do something wrong that I didn’t have enough batter or it didn’t rise enough?
Hi Elizabeth! We haven’t tried freezing cake slices, but it should work fine, according to The Kitchn, even with cream cheese frosting. We tend to have leftover frosting with this recipe but would rather have leftover frosting than not enough! It really depends on how thick you make each frosting layer. Have you checked the freshness of your baking soda? Click HERE to learn how to do so. Do you use a digital scale to measure your ingredients?
THE BEST CARROT CAKE! OMG You will not regret making this. Only thing better than this cake is the icing – super rich and creamy!
This is a favorite for sure! I’m so glad you loved it!