Kitchen Sink Single Layer Carrot Cake
This kitchen sink single layer carrot cake is ultra-moist and loaded with pineapple, dates, coconut, golden raisins, and pecans. Finished with a nutty brown butter cream cheese frosting, it's the most flavorful carrot cake you'll ever make.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch Kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 ounces carrots, peeled and finely grated (a heaping cup)
- ⅓ cup crushed pineapple with juice (do NOT drain)
- ¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ cup chopped dates
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup golden raisins
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4½ ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch Kosher salt
- Finely chopped pecans, for garnish (optional)
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Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease an 8" round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.1 cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, Pinch Kosher salt
- Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla; stir to combine.2 large eggs,, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fold in the carrots, pineapple (with juice), coconut, dates, pecans, and raisins until evenly distributed. Batter will be thick.5 ounces carrots, peeled and finely grated, ⅓ cup crushed pineapple with juice, ¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut, ¼ cup chopped dates, ¼ cup chopped pecans, ¼ cup golden raisins
- Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
Make the brown butter frosting:
- Cut butter into pieces and melt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring or swirling every 30 seconds. It will bubble and foam (this is the water cooking off, totally normal). When the foam starts to subside, you'll see small golden-brown bits forming on the bottom of the pan. Keep a close eye on it here; this is where it can go from perfect to burnt quickly. Continue to cook, swirling or stirring every 30 seconds, until golden-brown and nutty-smelling, then immediately pour into a heat-safe bowl to stop the cooking (including all those browned bits!). Cool completely at room temperature.3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add cooled brown butter and cream cheese to a medium bowl and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes or until smooth.4½ ounces cream cheese,
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat on low to combine, then increase to medium and beat 2 minutes until creamy.1½ cups powdered sugar,, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch Kosher salt
- Spread frosting over the top of the cooled cake. Garnish with finely chopped pecans, if desired.Finely chopped pecans, for garnish
Notes
- Don't drain the pineapple. The juice is essential for keeping this cake moist.
- Grate your own carrots on the fine side of a box grater for the best texture.
- Chop dates and pecans to roughly match the size of your raisins for even distribution.
- Brown butter must be fully cooled before beating with cream cheese, or the frosting will be too soft.
- Short on time? Skip browning the butter and use room temperature butter instead for a more traditional cream cheese frosting.
- Want to skip a mix-in? Omit coconut, raisins, dates, or pecans freely - but keep the pineapple.
- To make a layer cake: Double the recipe and bake in two 8" pans.
- Storage: Refrigerate covered for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: Wrap the unfrosted cake in plastic wrap and foil and freeze up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before frosting.
- Make frosting ahead: Up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate and stir well before spreading.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pieceCalories: 493kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 5gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 230mgPotassium: 242mgFiber: 2gSugar: 52gVitamin A: 3373IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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