Brown Butter Carrot Sheet Cake With Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Brown Butter Bonanza

Moist and flavorful, this Brown Butter Carrot Sheet Cake is a showstopper! With the perfect balance of spices, sweet carrots, and rich brown butter, every bite is a delight. And let’s not forget the creamy Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting – the perfect finishing touch to this decadent dessert.

Ready Time

2 hrs

Yields

5 servings

Ingredients

For the cake:
2 1/4 cups (285g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (250g) grated carrots
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the brown butter:
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
For the frosting:
8 ounces (225g) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (190g) confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Grease an 18×13-inch jelly roll pan, line it with parchment paper, and set it aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Set aside.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Stir in the grated carrots.

Melt the butter for the brown butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the butter smells nutty and turns golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared jelly roll pan and smooth the top.

Drizzle the brown butter over the batter, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.

Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth and creamy.

Beat in the vanilla extract.

Once the cake is completely cool, spread the frosting over the top.

Cut into bars and serve.

Notes

Make sure to use room temperature eggs and butter for a lighter cake. If you’ve never made brown butter before, don’t worry, it’s easy! Just keep an eye on it as it can go from perfect to burnt quickly.

When drizzling the brown butter over the batter, don’t worry if it’s not perfect – it’ll still look great.

You can also toast some chopped nuts or shredded coconut to sprinkle on top of the cake for extra texture and flavor. Keep the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

If you want to get ahead, you can prepare the brown butter and frosting a day in advance, then assemble the cake on the day of serving.