High Altitude Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

In my series of high altitude recipes for classic cakes that I’m working through this year, of course I had to include a carrot cake.  Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is the cake I often requested for my birthday when I was a kid, and to this day, it’s one of my favorites. I make mine with brown butter and plenty of fall spices, with the dreamiest cream cheese buttercream. Carrot cake and cream cheese go together like milk and cookies, and I can’t imagine eating this cake without that sweet and tangy frosting. This is a classic carrot cake recipe with no mix-ins (no raisins, nuts, pineapple or coconut), so that the flavor of the carrots, spices and brown butter can really shine.

Looking for more high altitude cake recipes? Don’t miss this chocolate fudge cake with ganache, classic vanilla cake, and coconut cake.

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Why You’ll Love This Cake

Brown Butter. The brown butter adds such a nutty, rich depth of flavor to the cake, as well as makes it so moist.

Cream Cheese Frosting. One of the best things about this cake is the cream cheese frosting, am I right? It’s sweet and tangy and simply delicious. To make a cream cheese frosting that can hold its shape and still be used for cake decorating, the key is to use half butter and half cream cheese.  I also add a bit more powdered sugar to my cream cheese buttercream than I use in my perfect American buttercream recipe. The cream cheese buttercream is beautifully smooth and creamy, sweet and with a slight tang, and is just the perfect complement to this classic cake.

Fall Spices. This cake has all the best spices, like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Your house will smell amazing when you bake this cake.

History of Carrot Cake

Many food historians believe that carrot cake originated from carrot puddings, eaten by Europeans in the Middle Ages, when carrots were an inexpensive alternative to refined sugar for use in sweetening a dessert.  In the 1800s, a Gâteau de Carottes was included in a cookbook of recipes served to Louis XVI, which was later translated into English in cookbooks published in London.  And today, carrot cake continues to be one of the most popular birthday cake flavors in Switzerland.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

You won’t find any pineapple, raisins, nuts or coconut in my carrot cake.  In my opinion, they don’t belong. Now, I don’t mind a few toasted pecans or a handful of coconut sprinkled over the frosting, but not in the cake itself.  Warm spices enhance the flavor of the carrots, and the cake crumb is so moist, soft and slightly dense.

• Unsalted Butter. You’ll be browning the butter first, and it adds an incredible rich and nutty flavor to the carrot cake, as well as moisture.
• Carrots. After peeling the carrots, you can finely grate them with a box grater, or just do it quickly with a food processor. I like to use a small Ninja to easily chop them up into tiny bits. I’ve included the weight needed (9 ounces) since carrots vary so greatly in size. If you pack the grated carrots into your measuring cup too tightly, you’ll measure too much and your cake will be too dense, so it’s a good idea to weigh them for accuracy.
• Applesauce + Vegetable Oil. Applesauce adds a subtle apple flavor that complements the carrots and lots of moisture, while the oil ensures the cake stays soft and moist.
• Buttermilk. All the best cakes are made with buttermilk. The tangy richness balances the sugar, as well as makes a very tender cake.
• Granulated Sugar + Dark Brown Sugar. Sweetness and moisture.
• Eggs. The eggs add structure to your cake batter, as well as fat.
• Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
• All-Purpose Flour. While you could use cake flour, a carrot cake should be a little bit more dense than a white cake or vanilla cake, so all-purpose flour is a good choice.
• Baking Soda + Baking Powder. Leavens the batter and makes the cake rise.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Spices. I use a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in many of my fall and winter recipes. A pinch of cardamom would also be fantastic. If you keep spice mixes on hand, such as pumpkin pie spice, you can certainly use that instead.

Instructions

Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.  Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until nutty brown solids form on the bottom of the pan.  Immediately scrape the butter and the browned bits into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Add the carrots, applesauce, oil, buttermilk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla to the brown butter, and whisk until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk for 10-15 seconds until combined.
• Divide the batter between the pans.  Bake for about 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Set the pans on a cooling rack and cool completely, covered with a clean kitchen towel.

TIP: For a little crunch and texture, sprinkle some finely chopped pecans or walnuts between each cake layer and on top of the cake.

Buttercream

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter for 1 minute until smooth.
• With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar and the meringue powder, mixing until combined.
• Add the salt and vanilla; on medium high, whip for several minutes until light and fluffy – add a little more powdered sugar if the buttercream is too soft, or 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream if it’s too thick.
• Stack and fill the cooled cakes, then frost all over with a thin crumb coat of buttercream.  Chill for 30 minutes, then frost with a final layer of buttercream.

TIP: I spread the buttercream fairly thin for a “semi-naked” look, which lets some of the cake show through the buttercream. Then I used the remainder of the buttercream to pipe the swirls on top.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does browning the butter do?

It adds a nutty, rich depth of flavor that’s just incredible in baked goods.

What can I use instead of buttermilk?

If you’re not able to find buttermilk, you can make your own sour milk. For every 1 cup of whole milk, stir in 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar, then let sit for 10-15 minutes to curdle.

Will this recipe work as cupcakes, or in a 9×13 pan?

Yes! It will make a lot of cupcakes, though, so I’d recommend making half the recipe.

Can I cut this recipe in half?

You can easily cut the recipe in half, and bake the batter in three 6-inch pans.

What tip did you use to pipe the buttercream swirls on top?

Tip 1M.

Does carrot cake need to be refrigerated?

Since there’s cream cheese in the buttercream, I recommend refrigerating the leftover cake overnight. However, it’s perfectly fine to let it sit out for several hours during the day, since cake is best served at room temperature.

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