THE BEST Carrot Cake

Name: THE BEST Carrot Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup brown butter; 1/4 cup apple sauce; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 eggs; 1 cup grated carrots; 1 cup all purpose flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; Spices: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cardamom; 1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts; 1/2 cup butter (softened); 8oz cream cheese (room temp); 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1 tsp vanilla; 1/4 tsp salt

4 steps

Prep:25minCook:45min

This is THE BEST carrot cake recipe, trust me! It’s so moist and the nutty brown butter and spices create a beautiful depth of flavor. I top it with a simple cream cheese frosting, and it’s perfect!

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 10:04:54 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories623.5 kcal (31%)

Total Fat40.4 g (58%)

Carbs62.9 g (24%)

Sugars47.8 g (53%)

Protein5.6 g (11%)

Sodium306 mg (15%)

Fiber1.7 g (6%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Instructions

Step 1

Grate your carrots, and set aside. Toast your chopped pecans or walnuts in a pan on the stovetop. If you want to go the extra step, coat the nuts in maple syrup and then toast them to make candied nuts. Set aside to let it cool.

Step 2

Whisk to combine your butter, apple sauce, sugars, vanilla, eggs, and the grated carrots. Sift all of your dry ingredients and fold into to the wet mixture. Add your toasted nuts and mix in well.

Step 3

Transfer to a baking pan, and bake at 325f for 45min, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Step 4

Make the frosting: cream the butter and powdered sugar until mixture is smooth. Add vanilla, cream cheese, and salt, and mix until frosting is light and fluffy. Spread the frosting on the cooled carrot cake, and garnish with more chopped nuts and carrots, enjoy!