My daughter recently asked for carrot cake, and I happily took that as an excuse to bake one.
This carrot cake recipe makes a 6-inch cake that is perfect for satisfying sweet cravings without the guilt of overindulging. And you won’t have dry, leftover cake taking up space in your fridge for days.
The carrot cake is soft and moist with a warm cinnamon flavor and just enough height to slice into two layers.
But since this cake was made for someone special, I wanted to make it a little more memorable.
Instead of using regular butter in the cream cheese frosting, I browned it first.
If you’ve never made brown butter frosting before, it’s worth the extra few minutes. As the butter cooks, it develops a rich, nutty aroma that pairs beautifully with the cinnamon-spiced cake and tangy cream cheese. It’s one of those small upgrades that makes it taste better than a regular carrot cake.
The cake itself is simple. Freshly grated carrots keep it moist, cinnamon adds warmth, and chopped nuts bring a little crunch to every bite. It’s not overly sweet, which lets the flavors shine through.
This carrot cake is perfect for family birthdays, weekend baking projects, or any time you’re craving carrot cake without committing to a giant layer cake.
Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPEIngredients
Dry Ingredients
- 60 g walnuts
- 190 g grated carrots (about 1½ cups)
- 145 g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs + 1 yolk
- 180 g sugar
- 120 g oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla paste
Frosting
- 40 g unsalted butter (browned)
- 120 g cream cheese
- 50 g icing sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla paste
- ½ tsp lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease and line a 6 × 6 × 3-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until frothy, about 1 minute.
- Add the sugar and vanilla extract. Beat for 3–4 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick, pale, and airy.
- With the mixer running on low speed, gradually drizzle in the oil in a steady stream. Continue mixing until fully incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 50–65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until melted and golden brown specks form at the bottom of the pan. The butter should smell nutty and fragrant.
- Transfer the browned butter, including all the toasted milk solids, to a heatproof bowl. Let it cool in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and thicken to a soft, spreadable consistency.
- Combine the icing sugar, cooled brown butter, cream cheese, vanilla paste, and lemon juice. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, slice it horizontally into two even layers.
- Spread half of the frosting over the bottom layer.
- Place the second layer on top and spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake.
- Chill for 20–30 minutes before serving for the cleanest slices.