Brown Sugar Carrot Cake from the House of Elyn Ryn

Carrot cakes are rich and decadent because they contain other things besides cake flour. Loaded with a blend of crushed pineapple, carrots, pecans, coconut, and spices, this recipe is bursting with brown sugar flavor, making it buttery and delicious!

This cake has a long ingredient list. Fear not, because several are spices. It contains cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Is it necessary to add that many? Yes, to create the delicious flavor of this cake. If you don’t like one of the flavors other than cinnamon, leave it out. However, if you leave out the cardamom, make up for it by adding an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. This is a spice cake, after all!

This three-layer cake can be made in one day or stretched over two days. Prepare the ingredients before starting because the prep work is a large part of this recipe. Consider grating the carrots a day ahead and keeping them in the refrigerator. The nuts can also be toasted beforehand. Or, you can buy toasted chopped nuts at the grocery store, saving prep time.

EQUIPMENT

• (3) 9-inch cake pans
• Parchment paper
• 1 no. 10 round piping tip
• 1 no. 66 leaf piping tip
• 2 piping bags
• Mixer
• 1 or 2 baking sheets for making decorations (optional)

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
• ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• (1) 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
• 2 cups peeled and grated carrots
• 1 cup shredded coconut (may use sweetened or unsweetened)
• 1 cup toasted chopped pecans

Frosting

• 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup buttermilk, shaken
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup toasted chopped pecans

Carrot Decorations (Optional)

• ¾ cup white chocolate wafers (divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup)
• Orange gel food coloring
• Green gel food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS

Cake

1. Grease the cake pans. Cut out and add a parchment round in the bottom of each. Grease the parchments and then dust all the pans with flour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Whisk the eggs, sugars, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla until well mixed in a large bowl.
4. Stir in the flour mixture until almost mixed. Then, stir in the applesauce, pineapple, carrots, coconut, and pecans. Be careful not to overmix.
5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then, insert a knife between the pan and the cake, running it around to loosen it from the sides. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack. Peel the parchment paper from the bottom. Repeat for each cake layer.

Frosting

1. Place the butter, brown sugar, buttermilk, baking soda, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let cool completely.
2. Add the cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and salt and beat until mixed well. Stop the mixer and add the powdered sugar. Place a towel over the mixer and mixing bowl to catch the sugar dust. Beat until thoroughly mixed. Add 3 tablespoons of the cooled butter sauce and beat.
3. Place the first cake layer on a cake plate. If there is butter mixture left over, spoon it on top of each layer. Add frosting to the top of the cake layer. Spread to cover the top. Add another layer and repeat until all the layers are stacked and have frosting on top of them. Then, coat the sides.
4. Use your palm to add chopped pecans to the bottom of the cake all the way around.

Carrot Decorations (Optional)

1. Melt 1/2 cup of white chocolate wafers in a microwavable measuring cup or bowl with a handle. Heat on high for 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Stir until melted. Add drops of orange gel and stir. Place in a piping bag with a round tip.
2. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Pipe (8) 1 1/2-inch carrots and (6) 2-inch ones onto the parchment paper by piping in a back-and-forth motion, wider at the top, and end in a point. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to harden the chocolate.
3. Add the rest of the white chocolate wafers to a clean microwave-safe cup with a handle. Heat on high for 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Add green gel coloring until you reach the desired color. Add the leaf tip and chocolate to a piping bag. Pipe two leaves on top of each carrot. Return the chocolate carrots to the refrigerator to harden.
4. Place 6 large carrots on the top of the cake in a round pattern. Add the small carrots to the sides of the cake.
5. Cover and store the cake in the refrigerator.

Sweet & Savory Hints

• You can buy precut round parchment paper in 8 or 9-inch diameter (or other sizes), making it easy to prepare the layer cake pans.
• The sauce will foam from the added baking soda, so make sure the pan is large enough to contain the sauce as it foams and expands.
• The sauce contains buttermilk; however, you can substitute cream for it. The buttermilk tang disappears after cooking the sauce, creating a smooth brown sugar butter taste.
• After frosting, add pecans around the cake. Place them one-third up the cake from the bottom. You can substitute another nut, such as walnuts, for the pecans in this recipe. Or you can leave them out altogether. The nuts around the cake serve as decoration and also enhance the nutty taste of the cake.
• Store this cake under a dome or wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator, and it will last several days. I do not recommend storing it on the countertop because of the cream cheese.

For more recipes and entertaining/lifestyle tips, visit Rynn’s blog at www.thehouseofelynryn.com