Carrot Cake With Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
The softest, most delicious, and easiest carrot cake with a luscious brown sugar cream cheese frosting
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- Hand whisk
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Silicone spatula
- Grater
- Baking pan of choice*
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 160 gms all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 190 ml vegetable oil
- 80 ml full-fat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 160 gms brown sugar
- 90 gms grated carrots
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- 75 gms unsalted butter (softened)
- 50 gms packed brown sugar
- 150 gms cream cheese
Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Grease your baking pan with butter and flour to stop the cake from sticking to the pan while baking.
- Grate the carrots and squeeze all the water from the grated carrots. Make sure you measure the carrots after you squeeze all the liquid out of them. If you add the carrots without removing the liquid, it will add extra moisture in the cake which might sink the cake while baking.90 gms grated carrots
- In a bowl, add all the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour , baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and combine them with a hand whisk. If you are using any other spices, add them at this step, too.160 gms all-purpose flour, 2 tsps baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon powder, 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder, 1/2 tsp salt
- In another bowl, add all the liquid ingredients: vegetable oil, full-fat milk, and vanilla extract and whisk until they are well combined.190 ml vegetable oil, 80 ml full-fat milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- In a bowl with an electric or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, add the eggs (3) and whisk them on high speed for 3-5 minutes, until they are pale and fluffy.3 eggs
- Add the brown sugar into the eggs and whisk again on high speed for 3-5 minutes, until the sugar is well incorporated into the eggs and the mixture is fluffy.160 gms brown sugar
- With your mixer on low, slowly pour the prepared liquid ingredients into the egg and sugar mixture and whisk until they’re well combined.
- Add the prepared dry ingredients into the batter in 3 parts, folding the batter with a silicone spatula after each addition.
- Add the grated and squeezed carrots into the batter and fold them with a silicon spatula, the same way as the dry ingredients. Keep folding until there are no lumps of carrots or streaks of flour remaining in the batter.
- Pour the batter in the prepared baking pans and bake them for 30-40 minutes (if using a loaf tin) or until a toothpick comes out clean. If you are baking the cake in smaller cake pans, reduce the baking time to 20 minutes and let it bake until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a bowl with an electric or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the softened butter and beat on medium-high speed until it’s pale and creamy.75 gms unsalted butter (softened)
- Add the brown sugar* and beat again for 3-5 minutes, until the sugar is well incorporated into the butter.50 gms packed brown sugar
- Add the cream cheese and beat the mix on medium speed until it’s properly combined with the butter and sugar, and you have a soft but stable frosting.150 gms cream cheese
- Refrigerate the frosting if you are not using it immediately. Once you are ready to use it, take it out of the fridge and beat it with your mixer to bring it back to the soft consistency. If the frosting feels hard, add a few splashes of milk while mixing.
- Once your cake layers have cooled, top them with the frosting and add any other toppings of your choice. I add salted caramel and some home made crumble on mine for texture. You can also use roasted nuts like almonds or walnuts.
Notes
Storage
This cake is best eaten fresh but can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.Tips and tricks:
- Baking pan - I have baked this cake in a loaf tin, but you can bake yours in round tins and make multiple layers. This recipe makes 3 6 inch cake layers. If using smaller tins, adjust the baking time accordingly, as mentioned in the instructions. If you want to make an even bigger cake, this recipe can easily be doubled. If you are making a layered cake, double the frosting recipe so that you can add a generous amount in between each layer.*
- Brown sugar for frosting - Make sure you are using packed brown sugar and not the granulated kind for the frosting as it will not mix properly with the butter and cream cheese and will make the frosting grainy.*