Brown butter carrot cake cupcakes

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No raisins or nuts in sight - these moist, perfectly spiced and carrot filled cupcakes are topped with a sweet and smooth cream cheese frosting. Both the cake and frosting feature browned butter, giving a slightly nutty flavor that compliments the spice and sweetness of the cupcakes.

I know what you might be thinking, why carrot cake? Well, not only was this a special request for someone's Birthday when I first developed the recipe, but it also happens to be the favorite of my other half so I was really excited to tackle this one. I feel like most people have either a serious love, or the opposite, for carrot cake. I am somewhere in the middle, which also made it a more exciting challenge. I love this recipe for a spring holiday but really it’s a great choice year round. Thanks to the sweet and creamy frosting and the moist cake it’s also a tough one to mess up making it a delicious crowd pleaser.

The key players in this recipe are shredded carrots, spices, coconut milk and brown butter. Aside from these special additions, this cake isn't so different from any other cupcake. I know lots of recipes contain raisins and nuts, but I felt strongly about keeping these a bit simpler while still ensuring the flavor felt extra special.

• Carrots: Since you'll be peeling and shredding your own carrots, buy large carrots so that they'll be easier to shred using a grater. I don't recommend using the pre shredded carrots you can buy at the grocery store as they are much thicker, but do use caution when shredding your carrots at home by hand. 

• Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg are key ingredients to bring the warm carrot cake flavors. I recommend adding in cloves and cardamom too if you have them in your pantry, but if not you can always add some extra cinnamon in their place.

• Canned Coconut Milk: This thick and dairy free milk brings a subtle and creamy addition to the cake. You could swap in whole milk instead but I've always used canned coconut milk in my carrot cake and everyone loves it so I encourage you to give it a try!

• Brown Butter: Your first step for this recipe will be to brown all of your butter so it can cool off before incorporating into your cake batter and for later on to be used in your frosting. Because the brown butter is such a key ingredient in the cake batter and frosting, I recommend splurging on a european style unsalted butter.

Ingredients:

Brown Butter

• 16 tablespoons (226g) unsalted butter

After browned, your butter should weigh ~190g. Half (95g) will be used in your cake batter, and half (95g) in your frosting.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

• 1 cup (192g) granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup (64g) light brown sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1/4 cup (45g) neutral oil, vegetable or canola

• 1/2 cup (120g) canned coconut milk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 cup (120g) peeled and shredded carrots, about 2-3 large carrots

• 1 1/2 cup (180g) all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon cloves and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom 

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup (8oz) cream cheese, room temperature

• 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pinch salt 

• 2-3 tablespoons canned coconut milk

Prep time: About 45 minutes to an hour

Bake time: 22-25 minutes

Equipment:

• Cupcake pans

• Hand mixer (or stand mixer with paddle attachment)

• Spatula

• Parchment paper

• Optional:

  • 1/4 cup measuring cup or # 16 scooper (4 tablespoons in size)

  • 2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons size scooper

  • Cupcake liners

Cooking instructions:

Brown your butter. Cube your butter and place in a heavy bottom nonstick pot over low to medium heat. After it melts, you'll hear it begin to crackle. Stir the melted butter and watch it carefully as it can burn easily. A foam may also form on the top but it'll go away. You'll start to smell a nutty aroma (you'll know it when it happens). Continue to stir as it browns. Once you see the color turn to a light brown or amber, remove your pan from the heat and transfer your butter and all of the brown bits at the bottom into a small or medium, heat proof bowl. It should be about 190g of browned butter total. If you weigh your browned butter and notice you have less than 190g, add in some extra un-browned butter to make up the difference while it's still warm so you can mix to incorporate.

Cool off your browned butter to room temperature. You can do this in the fridge, stirring every 10-15 minutes for about an hour to ensure the browned milk solids get evenly distributed. You can also do this in the freezer, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure it doesn't get too cold.

Make your cupcake batter. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

At this point, your browned butter should be room temperature and still soft to the touch. Add 95g, or half of your browned butter, into a large bowl if using a hand mixer or into your stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment secured. Add in your granulated and light brown sugar. Mix at a medium speed for a minute or two until fluffy and combined.

Crack your eggs into a small container, add them into your sugar and butter mixture one at a time, continuing to mix at a medium speed, and adding your next egg in only once the last is fully incorporated. Scrape the sides of your bowl and mixer attachment as needed throughout.

Add in your neutral oil, coconut milk and vanilla extract, and turn your mixer back on at a low to medium speed for about a minute to fully combine. Note: if your coconut milk is separated when you open the can, you can use an immersion blender or regular blender to fully combine to a smooth mixture before adding to your cake. Once your liquid ingredients are fully combined, add in your carrots and stir at a low speed to incorporate fully.

Switching to your spatula, add in your dry ingredients - all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and spices (cinnamon and nutmeg, and your cloves and cardamom if using). Fold your dry ingredients in until your batter has formed and you no longer see any unincorporated dry ingredients, being sure to scrape the sides of your bowl and all the way down to the bottom.

Grab your cupcake tin, and add in liners if you're going to use them (which I do recommend). Add your batter in using a 1/4 cup measuring cup (or # 16 scooper). This recipe should make 16 cupcakes in total, and they will fill just below the brim.

Place your cupcakes into the 325 degree oven for 22-25 minutes. Because the batter is a light tan, it can be hard to tell once they're fully cooked but the center should be moist but firm if you tap it carefully once removed from the oven. Once they're done baking, and set aside and allow them to cool.

To prep for your frosting, be sure to remove your cream cheese from the fridge so it can come to room temperature along with your remaining browned butter. If you're worried about running short on brown butter, you can always replace a few grams with softened unsalted butter so feel free to keep a tablespoon or so out of the fridge just in case!

Make your frosting. Once your cupcakes have cooled, add your remaining brown butter (95g) to a bowl if using your hand mixer or to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment secured. Mix your butter on a medium speed to ensure it's completely softened - this will ensure it can mix properly with your cream cheese and avoid any unwanted pieces of unmixed butter in your frosting.

Add in your room temperature cream cheese, and begin to mix again at a medium to low speed for about a minute. Pause, scrape down the sides of your bowl and mixer attachment, and then mix again for about 30 seconds.

Then, add in about 2 1/2 cups (300g) of your powdered sugar, along with your vanilla and pinch of salt. Mix at a low speed until your sugar is incorporated. Taste to test the level of sweetness, and I recommend at least adding another 1/4 cup, and for a perfectly sweet frosting add in the remaining 1/2 cup - but this is completely baker's choice. At this point you can also add in about a tablespoon of coconut milk. Continue mixing at a low speed to ensure your frosting stays silky soft (we are not looking to whip much if any air into the frosting. If your frosting is too thick, add another tablespoon of coconut milk, maximum 3 tablespoons total.

Scrape down the sides of your bowl and paddle once you've reached your desired sweetness and consistency, and then run your mixer at a medium speed for another 30 seconds to a minute.

If your frosting is too soft or warm, place it in the fridge covered for up to an hour, mixing every 15 minutes to ensure it doesn't harden around the edges.

Once you're ready, top each cupcake with 2-3 tablespoons of frosting, spreading it however you'd like and then enjoy!

You can store your cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, and allow them to come down to room temperature (about 30 minutes to an hour) before enjoying. You can also freeze your frosted or unfrosted cupcakes and defrost in the fridge or at room temperature before enjoying. I do think these taste best at room temperature.

Carb and serving info:

Servings: 16

Carbs per serving (1 of 16): 49

Carbs for full recipe: 791

Carbs for frosting only: 369

Carbs for cake only: 422

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.