Moist Homemade Brown Butter Carrot Cake
This Brown Butter Carrot Cake is rich, moist, and packed with warm spices, shredded carrots, and a nutty brown butter flavor. Layered with creamy cinnamon-spiced cream cheese frosting and crunchy walnuts, it’s perfect for birthdays, holidays, or any cozy occasion. Soft, tender, and utterly irresistible, this cake is a showstopper that everyone will love!
Ingredients
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 3 Large eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups finely shredded carrots
- ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
Frosting
- 24 oz cream cheese
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F; grease and line two 8-inch pans.
- Brown the butter, pour into a bowl, and let cool.
- Mix dry ingredients separately.
- Whisk in sugar, eggs, applesauce, vanilla, and carrots into brown butter. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts.
- Divide batter between pans and bake 30–35 minutes. Cool completely.
- Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, then sugar until smooth.
- Slice cake layers if desired. Frost and assemble layers.
- Keep refrigerated if not serving immediately. Optional: toast nuts for extra flavor.