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Patisserie-Style Carrot Cake Recipe Easy Brown Butter Sponge That Impresses Every Time

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A moist and tender carrot cake with a rich brown butter sponge, balanced spices, and optional cream cheese frosting, perfect for impressing guests or enjoying on a lazy weekend.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 cups (about 300g) freshly grated carrots
  • 1/2 cup (125g) crushed pineapple, drained (optional)
  • 1/2 cup (60g) toasted walnuts, chopped (optional)
  • For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or line them with parchment paper for easy removal. Set aside.
  2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently, watching closely as it foams and then turns a deep golden brown with a nutty aroma (5-7 minutes). Remove from heat immediately to avoid burning. Pour into a bowl and let cool to room temperature (about 5 minutes).
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until well combined. Set aside.
  4. In another large bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter with both sugars until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. Using a spatula, gently fold in the grated carrots and drained crushed pineapple until evenly distributed.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two additions, folding gently with the spatula just until combined. Stop as soon as no more flour is visible to avoid toughening the sponge.
  7. If using, fold in the toasted walnuts with a few gentle strokes.
  8. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway through baking for even browning.
  9. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and transfer to cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.
  10. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract and lemon juice. Adjust consistency with a tablespoon of milk if needed.
  11. Level the cakes if needed. Place one layer on a serving plate, spread with frosting, top with second layer, and finish frosting the top and sides. For a patisserie touch, smooth the frosting with an offset spatula for a polished look.

Notes

[‘Don’t rush browning the butter; stir constantly and watch closely to avoid burning.’, ‘Let the brown butter cool before mixing to prevent scrambling the eggs.’, ‘Grate carrots finely for better texture.’, ‘Drain pineapple well to avoid soggy cake.’, ‘Use room temperature ingredients for a smoother batter.’, ‘Fold gently after adding flour to avoid tough sponge.’, ‘Test doneness with a toothpick; if wet batter remains, bake longer.’, ‘Cool cakes completely before frosting to prevent melting.’, ‘Tent cake with foil if edges brown too quickly after 20 minutes.’, ‘Frosting can be made ahead and stored in the fridge.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: carrot cake, brown butter, cream cheese frosting, patisserie-style, moist cake, spiced cake, easy dessert

Find it online: https://novanosh.com/patisserie-style-carrot-cake-recipe-easy-brown-butter-sponge-that-impresses-every-time/