Description
Gourmet Baking at Home showcases how to craft bakery-level desserts from your own kitchen. This gourmet carrot cake features moist, spiced layers with a luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ cup granulated sugar
⅔ cup light brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cardamom
1⅓ cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups grated carrots
⅔ cup toasted walnuts
⅔ cup shredded coconut
⅔ cup crushed pineapple (with juice)
For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter
16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line three 8-inch pans with parchment and grease well.
2. Whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
3. In another bowl, whisk oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and combined.
4. Combine wet and dry mixtures gently, avoiding overmixing.
5. Fold in grated carrots, toasted nuts, coconut, and crushed pineapple until even.
6. Divide batter evenly into pans and bake 25–27 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool cakes 15 minutes, then wrap and chill for 1 hour.
8. For frosting, brown butter until golden, cool slightly, then beat with cream cheese, vanilla, salt, and sugar until fluffy.
9. Frost and assemble the cooled cake, then decorate with nuts or coconut.
Notes
Use freshly grated carrots for best texture. Brown the butter slowly for deep flavor. Chill frosting briefly if too soft before applying. Store cake in refrigerator up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 37g
- Sodium: 290mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 90mg