Browned Butter Carrot Cake Loaf

This Carrot Cake Loaf Cake is made in one bowl and is full of carrot and warm spices. The loaf is soft and fluffy because of the thick and creamy sour cream.

Carrot cake has always been one of my favorite spring flavors. It has the perfect meld of warm flavors from the spices and fresh bright flavors from the cream cheese and carrots. It is the perfect reflection of the transition from winter to spring. This browned butter carrot cake loaf is a great way to get all of the flavors of the cake, without the stacking and layering of a traditional cake.

Ingredients

• Grated Carrots – if freshly grating your carrots at home I recommend laying them out on a paper towel and gently pressing out some of the excess moisture.
• Butter – we will be browning this for both the loaf and frosting.
• Sugar – a mixture of granulated sugar and brown sugar for the loaf along with powdered sugar for the frosting.
• Eggs – eggs do a great job of building structure to your batter
• Sour Cream – my secret ingredient for a soft and fluffy loaf. This helps bring the moisture level up but keep a soft loaf
• Vanilla Extract – for warmth in the loaf and frosting.
• Flour – all purpose flour is great, however if you want to make it even lighter you can swap for cake flour.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda – helps to make your loaf rise perfectly.
• Spices – a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt bring the perfect flavor.
• Cream Cheese – for the perfect cream cheese frosting.

How to Make the perfect Browned Butter Carrot Cake Loaf

CARROT CAKE LOAF

• Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a 9”x5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
• Place 1 cup butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Keep stirring until the butter begins to turn a light amber color. The foam will subside and you will have little brown specks (milk solids) at the bottom of the pan.
• In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar and ½ cup browned butter. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and FAGE sour cream and mix it in until combined.
• Add in grated carrots, mix to combine.
• Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Carefully folding all ingredients together until combined.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan. Take a butter knife and insert it into the top of the batter in the loaf pan and run it a straight line down the middle of the batter.
• Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool before frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• Once the loaf is completely cooled down, take remaining ½ cup browned butter, cream cheese and vanilla bean paste and mix to combine.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix sifted powdered sugar, mix for at least 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl halfway through.
• Add the cream cheese frosting on top of the loaf cake and enjoy!

More Like This Recipe

• Carrot Cake Sourdough Bread
• Carrot Cake Bagels
• Carrot Cake

Share Your Experience

I would love to hear about your experience making and enjoying my Browned Butter Carrot Cake Loaf! Feel free to tag me on Instagram or leave a review below. Your feedback helps me improve our recipes and provides inspiration to fellow home cooks.

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Browned Butter Carrot Cake Loaf

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This Carrot Cake Loaf Cake is made in one bowl and is full of carrot and warm spices. The loaf is soft and fluffy because of the thick and creamy sour cream.

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Servings: 8 slices

Ingredients

CARROT CAKE LOAF

• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cups butter
• 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup Sour Cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• ½ cup butter
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Instructions

CARROT CAKE LOAF

• Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a 9”x5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
• Place 1 cup butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Keep stirring until the butter begins to turn a light amber color. The foam will subside and you will have little brown specks (milk solids) at the bottom of the pan.
• In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar and ½ cup browned butter. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and FAGE sour cream and mix it in until combined.
• Add in grated carrots, mix to combine.
• Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Carefully folding all ingredients together until combined.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan. Take a butter knife and insert it into the top of the batter in the loaf pan and run it a straight line down the middle of the batter.
• Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool before frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• Once the loaf is completely cooled down, take remaining ½ cup browned butter, cream cheese and vanilla bean paste and mix to combine.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix sifted powdered sugar, mix for at least 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl halfway through.
• Add the cream cheese frosting on top of the loaf cake and enjoy!