I have always loved carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I grew up eating this cake. My current obsession is putting browned butter in every dessert, so I thought why not used browned butter in a cream cheese frosting? Let me tell you, its the BEST.
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Ingredients
- Frosting ingredients
- cream cheese
- unsalted butter
- powdered sugar
- heavy cream
- vanilla
- salt
- Cupcake ingredients
- sugar
- oil
- eggs
- walnuts
- flour
- carrots
- cinnamon
- baking soda
- baking powder
- salt
Instructions
Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Step One: Set out cream cheese to soften at room temperature. While the cream cheese softens, brown the butter.
Step Two: Brown the butter. Melt a stick of butter over medium heat in a light bottom pot or pan. Do not walk away. The butter will begin to foam. Do not stop stirring. When you see brown specks forming in the bottom of the pan and you smell a nutty/buttery aroma, pour the butter into a heat safe bowl. Make sure you get all of the brown bits. Do not leave the butter in the hot pan or it will burn. place a stick of butter (½ cup) in
Step Three: Place the browned butter in the fridge and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. Stir the butter. You are looking for a softened butter consistency. Melted butter will not cream with the sugar.
Step Four: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for for about 2 minutes.
Step Five: Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla. Start the mixer on low speed until just combined, then increase the speed to medium high speed for 2 minutes. You are looking for a fluffy frosting consistency.
Step Six: Taste and adjust. Add more powdered sugar. ½ cup at a time if the frosting is too thin. Add more heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time if it is too thick. Add salt to balance the sweetness.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Step One: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash, peel, and grate carrots. The number you need will depend on the size of your carrots. You need 3 cups of grated carrots. Chop the walnuts if needed.
Step Two: Combine sugar, oil, grated carrots and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix. Add the remaining dry ingredients- flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to another mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Step Three: Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the wet ingredients. Mix well, then stir in the walnuts.
Step Four: Line a muffin tin and spray with oil. Fill each cupcake liner about ¾ of the way full and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Mine took about 17 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before icing them.
Hint: Go really slowly when starting to mix in the powdered sugar, otherwise you’ll end up with a big cloud of sugar and a giant mess.
Give yourself the gift of prep!
In this section I will give you ways to freeze, re-purpose and/or use some of your ingredients for another meal. Save yourself some time and effort next time you’re in the kitchen!
Freeze half: This recipe makes 2 dozen cupcakes. Unless you’re having a big party, you probably don’t need all of them, but you’re doing the work anyway so make it work for your future self! Freeze half of the cupcakes in a gallon freezer bag and the remaining frosting in a vacuum seal freezer bag. When you need another treat or extra delicious icing for cinnamon rolls use what you already have in the freezer! Here are some ideas:
- Carrot Cake cake balls: Start with a dozen defrosted cupcakes and add ½ cup of icing. Mix together and add more icing as needed to make a mixture you can roll into cake balls.
- Carrot Cake Trifle: I did this recently for a friend’s birthday and it was AMAZING. Cut the defrosted cupcakes into pieces (about 4-6 each). Start with a layer of cake pieces followed by a layer of cream cheese frosting, then a layer of Maple Whipped Cream. Add another layer of cake, then frosting, then whipped cream. Top with some crumbled cake pieces and a few chopped walnuts (optional).
Equipment
A stand mixer such as a Kitchenaid is so helpful when making icing. You can use a hand mixer as well, just make sure you have a nice large bowl with tall sides.
I use a food processor with a grating blade attachment to grate all of my carrots. Its way easier than grating it all by hand.
Storage
Store the the icing in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days
Top Tip
Make sure you get all of the brown bits from the pot when transferring the browned butter. That’s where all of the flavor is!
Related
Looking for other dessert recipes?
Pairing
Recipe
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Course: DessertCuisine: American2
dozen30
minutes20
minutes30
minutes1
hour20
minutesCrumbly, moist carrot cake with a browned butter cream cheese frosting. This will turn anyone into a carrot cake fan.
Ingredients
- Icing Ingredients
8 ounces , full brick, full fat cream cheese
½ cup unsalted butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Salt to taste
- Cupcake Ingredients
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Start by browning the butter. Melt a stick of butter over medium heat in a light bottom pot or pan. Do not walk away. The butter will begin to foam. Do not stop stirring. When you see brown specks forming in the bottom of the pan and you smell a nutty/buttery aroma, pour the butter into a heat safe bowl. Do not leave the butter in the hot pan or it will burn.
- Place the browned butter in the fridge and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. Stir the butter. You are looking for a softened butter consistency. Melted butter will not cream with the sugar.
- While the butter cools, start on the cake batter. Wash, peel, and grate carrots. The number you need will depend on the size of your carrots. You need 3 cups of grated carrots. Chop the walnuts if needed.
- Combine sugar, oil, grated carrots and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix. Add the remaining dry ingredients- flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to another mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the wet ingredients. Mix well, then stir in the walnuts.
- Line a muffin tin and spray with oil. Fill each cupcake liner about ¾ of the way full and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Mine took about 17 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before icing them.
- While the cupcakes bake/ cool finish the icing. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for for about 2 minutes.
- Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla. Start the mixer on low speed until just combined, then increase the speed to medium high speed for 2 minutes. You are looking for a fluffy frosting consistency.
- Taste and adjust. Add more powdered sugar. ½ cup at a time if the frosting is too thin. Add more heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time if it is too thick. Add salt to balance the sweetness.
- Put the icing into a piping bag and pipe thick, tall swirls onto your cupcakes. Top with chopped walnuts or leave plain. Enjoy!
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