Single Layer Carrot Cake with Browned Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (2024)

6 inch single layer carrot cake

• ▢ ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ ⅓ cup Vegetable Oil
• ▢ ½ cup Granulated Sugar
• ▢ 1 Large Egg (room temperature)
• ▢ ½ cup Finely Grated Carrots
• ▢ ¼ cup Chopped Walnuts (optional for either adding to batter or as garnish (can also use chopped pecans))

small batch browned butter cinnamon cream cheese frosting

• ▢ ¼ cup Unsalted Butter (browned and cooled to solid state)
• ▢ 4 oz Cream Cheese (softened to room temperature)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• ▢ 2 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar

6 inch single layer carrot cake

• Adjust your oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat your oven to 350ºF. Generously spray a 6 inch cake pan with a flour based baking spray or grease and flour. If you choose, you can also add a 6 inch parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan, and to the outside, a cake baking strip. Set to the side.

• With a small mixing bowl and a whisk, blend together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set to the side.

  ½ cup All-Purpose Flour, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon Salt

• In a separate medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and egg.

  ⅓ cup Vegetable Oil, ½ cup Granulated Sugar, 1 Large Egg

• Add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together until just combined. Be careful not to over mix the cake batter.

• Fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts (optional ingredient, can also use chopped pecans).

  ½ cup Finely Grated Carrots, ¼ cup Chopped Walnuts

• Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350ºF or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

• Cool the cake in the cake pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

• Once cooled, frost with the small batch browned butter cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Garnish with chopped walnuts (optional ingredient, can also use chopped pecans).

small batch browned butter cinnamon cream cheese frosting

• In a medium-size (light colored recommended) saucepan melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Continue to stir as the butter begins to bubble and foam, then subsides. This is the water evaporating from the butter. Continue to heat until the butter turns a light color brown and has a nutty aromatic flavor. From start to finish this step will take roughly 7-8 minutes.

  ¼ cup Unsalted Butter

• Immediately remove the browned butter from the heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl. Cover lightly and place in the refrigerator to cool and solidify. This takes about an hour. If you made the browned butter in advance, bring it to room temperature 20-30 minutes before adding.

• Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the browned butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Add in the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon and continue to mix until well blened. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.

  ¼ cup Unsalted Butter, 4 oz Cream Cheese, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

• Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually adding in your sifted powdered sugar until it's well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes more.

  2 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar

• Frost your cake once it's completely cooled.

• Carrot cake and frosting adapted from my Super Moist Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe.
• Recipe times shown only include the cake.
• For regular cream cheese frosting (also small batch), use unsalted butter at room temperature instead of browned butter and omit the cinnamon.
• Keep frosted carrot cake stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap (1-2 layers is good) for up to 3 days.