Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Icing

This is an updated version of the carrot cake recipe I grew up with. It's a little less heavy, but the change to brown butter in the icing makes it taste super rich.

This has pineapple in the batter, and walnuts only on top, but you could of course add walnuts to the batter, omit the pineapple, or add raisins and coconut.

The brown butter step is optional but really does take it over the top. It's a bit of a pain because ideally you need to brown the butter ahead of time so it can solidify in the fridge, then be taken out again to soften at room temperature. 

I bake this in a 9x13 pan, but you can also bake as 2 round layers, or a bundt.

Cake 

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt 

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg 

1/2 tsp ground ginger 

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar 

1/3 cup white sugar

4 eggs

1 cup neutral oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup drained crushed pineapple (1 can) 

2 cups grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour 9x13 pan. Sift together dry ingredients in large bowl. Whisk together sugars, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Whisk into dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in pineapple and carrots. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until edges slightly pull away from the sides, cake springs back when gently pressed with a finger, and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool completely before icing. 

Icing 

1/2 cup butter 

250g package block cream cheese (room temp) 

Pinch of salt 

1 tsp vanilla 

3 1/4 cups icing sugar

Heat butter in saucepan on medium low heat, stirring occasionally until milk solids turn brown. Remove from heat and refrigerate until solid, then take out to keep at room temperature. This is best done at least a few hours before making the icing because you want both the butter and cream cheese to be at room temperature before starting. 

Beat cream cheese and butter together until homogeneous. Add salt and vanilla and mix well. Sift in icing sugar and beat until smooth. 

Top with chopped toasted walnuts. 

Original recipe for "14 Carat Cake". Internet research suggests it was originally from a Junior League cookbook. Modern recipes have less oil and sugar - I remember this being quite dense and moist.