Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
There’s nothing quite like a classic carrot cake. It’s cozy, comforting, and every bite feels like a warm hug. This is the best carrot cake recipe— extra soft, packed with flavor, and topped with a silky-smooth brown butter cream cheese frosting that takes it to the next level.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Cake
- Vegetable oil
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Plain yogurt
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Peeled and finely grated carrots
For the Frosting
- Softened cream cheese
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
How to Make Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
01. Brown the Butter
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, add the butter and melt. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and get bubbly. Watch it closely, being careful not to burn. This should take about 5 minutes. When the butter turns a golden brown and small brown bits appear at the bottom of the pan, take it off the heat, and transfer it to a heat-proof bowl. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes until solid.
02. Make the Frosting
In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, chilled brown butter, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Continue mixing until the frosting is fluffy, smooth, and spreadable. If the frosting is too thick, you can add a little milk or heavy cream, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
Recipe Tips
Make Ahead: We absolutely love carrot cake because it stays moist for so long! You can bake the cake layers up to 3 days ahead. Once they’ve baked and cooled completely, wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator. Once you’re ready to serve, decorate with the cream cheese frosting. You can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months.
Add-Ins: Carrot cake can be customized with different add-ins depending on your preference. You can add walnuts, pecans, or shredded coconut!
Watch how we made it:
Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs room temp.
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 3 cups carrots peeled & finely grated
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease and line two 8 inch round pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and sugars, followed by the eggs and yogurt. Then, whisk in the carrots.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold into the wet batter until combined. Fold in any add-ins (if using).
- Evenly pour the batter into each cake pan. Bake at 350℉ for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For the Frosting
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, add the butter and melt. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and get bubbly. Watch it closely, being careful not to burn. This should take about 5 minutes. When the butter turns a golden brown and small brown bits appear at the bottom of the pan, take it off the heat, and transfer it to a heat-proof bowl. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes until solid.
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, chilled brown butter, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Continue mixing until the frosting is fluffy, smooth, and spreadable. If the frosting is too thick, you can add a little milk or heavy cream, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, frost and enjoy!
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so happy you’re enjoying it!
my whole family love this cake, including both my sister and boyfriend who swore that the hate carrot cake