Brown Butter Carrot Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting -

Brown Butter Carrot Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time50

Cook Time28

Cooling and frosting time5

Total Time6 18

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

1 pound carrots whole and unpeeled
8 ounces (2 sticks; 225 grams) unsalted butter
7 ounces (scant 1 cup; 195 grams) white sugar
4 ounces (½ cup, gently packed; 117 grams) light brown sugar
1 ½-2* teaspoons ground cinnamon
*1 ½-2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
Scant 1 teaspoon (3 ½ g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
⅓ teaspoon ground cloves
½ tablespoon (¼ ounce; 7 grams) vanilla extract
3 large eggs straight from the fridge
5 ½ ounces (1 ¼ cups, spooned; 155 grams) all-purpose flour such as Gold Medal
2 ½ ounces (½ cup; 70 grams) whole wheat flour not stone-ground

Peel, trim, and shred the carrots, then measure out 12 ounces (3 cups, firmly packed). This can be refrigerated up to 1 week in a zip-top bag.
In a 2-quart stainless steel saucier, completely melt the butter over medium-low heat. Increase to medium and simmer, stirring with a heat-resistant spatula while the butter hisses and pops. Continue cooking and stirring, scraping up any brown bits that form along the pan, until the butter is golden-yellow and perfectly silent. Pour into a heat-safe measuring cup, along with all the toasty brown bits, and proceed as directed, or cover and refrigerate up to 1 week; melt before using.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease three 8-inch anodized aluminum cake pans and line with parchment (explanation and tutorial here). If you don’t have three pans, it’s okay to bake the cakes in stages; the batter will keep at room temperature until needed.
Combine white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on low to moisten, then increase to medium and whip until thick and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together all-purpose and whole wheat flours. Drizzle in the brown butter in a steady stream, then reduce speed to low and add the flours. Once smooth, fold in shredded carrots with a flexible spatula.
Divide batter between the prepared cake pans, about 14.5 ounces each. If you don't have three pans, the remaining batter can be held at room temperature up to 3 hours. Bake until cakes are golden, about 15-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center will have a few crumbs still attached, and your fingertip will leave a slight indentation in the puffy crust.
Cool cakes directly in their pans for 1 hour, then run a butter knife around the edges to loosen. Invert onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment, and return cakes right side up (covered in plastic, the cakes can be left at room temperature for a few hours). Prepare the whipped cream frosting.

Make sure your cream cheese is truly room-temperature (assuming a kitchen temperature of 65-70°F). No kidding around. Otherwise this will fail.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sifted dry ingredients, food coloring (if using), vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla extract to the beaten cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until light and completely smooth, about 3 minutes. Do not short-change the time you give to this step – the frosting should visibly thicken and lighten in color during this time.
Scrape down the bowl and replace the paddle attachment with a whisk. With the mixer running on low, add the cream very slowly, pausing every 5-10 seconds to scrape down the bowl, until it is fully combined. Increase the speed to medium high and whisk until stiff peaks form, scraping down the bowl as necessary (at least several times), about 2-3 minutes total.

If your cakes domed in the oven, level the tops. (This gives you lots of sampler pieces.)
To assemble the cake, place one layer of the carrot cake on a serving platter. Top with a generous 1 cup of the whipped cream frosting (or ⅓ of the frosting if you’re making a naked cake). Spread evenly over the surface, then top with the second layer of carrot cake. Top with a generous 1 cup of the whipped cream frosting (or ⅓ of the frosting if you’re making a naked cake).
Cover with the remaining cake layer. Crumb coat the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting, then refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to "set". Finish frosting the top and sides (or just fully frost the top) with the remaining whipped cream frosting.
Chill for 30 min to fully set the cake and frosting before trying to transport this cake! (Trust me....otherwise it will slide and you will be sad). If you aren't transporting this cake, it's still wise to chill before serving to help with meticulous slices. Because the frosting has a cream base, store any uneaten cake in the fridge, letting it come to room temperature before serving.