Name: Brown Butter Carrot Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 12 slices
Cuisine: American

Brown Butter Carrot Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Brown Butter Carrot Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Icing cover

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Brown Butter Carrot Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Browndis

Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

Instructions

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Brown the Butter

Cut the butter into even pieces and add to a light-colored saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter turns deeply golden and smells nutty.

Immediately pour into a heatproof measuring cup, scraping in all the brown bits.

Let cool for about 10 minutes. The butter should feel warm, not hot, like bath water.

Streusel

In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, vanilla and salt till well combined. Add the browned butter used for the streusel and pour over the mixture.

With a spoon or clean hands form both small and large buttery clumps.

Add the walnuts till combined.

Chill in the refrigerator to set while making the batter.

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch square pan with parchment.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter used for the cake batter and add with both sugars. Mix till combined, it will look like wet sand.

Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.

Whisk in sour cream.

Fold in dry ingredients just until combined. Do not overmix.

Gently add in shredded carrots until combined.

Spread the batter into a lined 8-inch square pan. Top with the chilled brown butter cinnamon streusel.

Bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick inserted shows moist crumbs but no wet batter.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze

While the cake is baking, whisk together the softened cream cheese and pwodered till smoth a paste like consistency is formed.

Add milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, mixing until creamy.

Add more milk for a thinner drizzle consistency.

Pour over the cooled carrot coffee cake.

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Brown Your Butter Properly 🧈
Cook butter over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, swirling frequently until it turns golden with a nutty aroma—don't let it burn. Strain through cheesecloth to remove solids, then cool completely before folding into batter to preserve the delicate brown butter flavor.
Shred Carrots Right Before Mixing 🥕
Grate carrots on a microplane or fine grater immediately before adding to batter to prevent oxidation and excess moisture that can make the cake dense. Pat them dry with paper towels if they release liquid.
Bloom Your Spices in Sour Cream 🌟
Mix cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves with the sour cream 5 minutes before incorporating into the batter to bloom the spices and distribute them evenly. This creates more vibrant, balanced warm spice notes throughout.
Toast Walnuts for Enhanced Depth 🌰
Lightly toast walnuts in a dry skillet for 3-4 minutes before chopping and adding to the batter to deepen their flavor and add a subtle crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft cake.
Chill Cream Cheese Icing Before Spreading 🧊
Refrigerate the finished icing for 15 minutes so it firms up just enough to spread smoothly without tearing the delicate cake. Apply it to a completely cooled cake to prevent melting.