Single Layer Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
This 6-inch single layer carrot cake is wonderfully moist and tender, with cinnamon and chopped walnuts in every bite…
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 35 mins
- Total
- 55 mins
- Makes
- 6 servings
This 6-inch single layer carrot cake is soft, moist, and tender, with cinnamon and chopped walnuts in every bite. Top it with this creamy brown butter cinnamon cream cheese frosting for a treat that suits spring, Easter, or any day of the year!
This easy single layer carrot cake is adapted from my Super Moist Carrot Cake Cupcakes and is my newest small batch recipe!
The vegetable oil, the egg, and, of course, the grated carrots are the main ingredients that give this cake its moist, fluffy crumb.
Cinnamon gives it a lovely, distinctive aroma, and chopped walnuts add a bit of crunch. Walnuts are optional, though I do recommend them. You can also swap in chopped pecans, as I did in my Carrot Cake Cookies!
And what's a cake without frosting? This cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness of the powdered sugar with the nutty, aromatic flavors of browned butter and cinnamon. It smells fantastic and goes perfectly with the carrot cake!
Swaps
This recipe calls for chopped walnuts as an optional ingredient. You can stir them into the batter, sprinkle them on top as a garnish, or skip them altogether.
You can swap in chopped pecans if you like. I've actually used both at once: walnuts in the batter and pecans for garnish.
I didn't test this adapted recipe with flour substitutes, egg replacers, or butter in place of the vegetable oil.
For regular cream cheese frosting (also a small batch recipe), use room-temperature unsalted butter instead of browned butter, and leave out the cinnamon.
Tips for Baking the Best Carrot Cake
Skip the mixer. You don't need any electric mixers for this single layer carrot cake. Mixing bowls, whisks, a spatula, and a grater for the carrots are all you need. To make the browned butter cinnamon cream cheese frosting, you'll need a saucepan and either a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
Get your ingredients ready. Successful baking starts with prep. For this carrot cake, grate the carrots and chop the walnuts (unless you bought them already chopped) before you begin. I used this medium grater from Microplane. To chop the walnuts, put them in a sealed plastic bag and crush them with a heavy spoon or rolling pin, or use this small food chopper.
Don't overmix the batter. Stir until the ingredients are just combined, meaning no dry streaks remain. This matters most when you bring the dry and wet ingredients together.
Use cake strips. I mention this in my single layer chocolate cake recipe post too. A cake strip helps you get a nice, level top. I own a bunch from Wilton and use them with all my cakes. I love them!
Let the cake cool completely. Whether you're frosting it that day or storing it in the fridge or freezer, let it cool fully first.
Start by cooling it in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. It's one of my favorite steps in any cake recipe, since the wonderful smell that rises when you lift the pan is so inviting.
Useful Baking Equipment
How to Brown Butter
Choose a light-colored saucepan. A dark pan makes it hard to tell when the butter starts to brown. I learned this the hard way the first time and burned it. Not good.
Melt and brown over medium heat. Keep the heat at medium from start to finish, both for melting and browning. Don't let it boil.
Bubble and foam. Once the butter melts, it will bubble and foam, then calm down. That's the water cooking off, and it's when the butter starts to brown. From start to finish, this step took about 7-8 minutes.
Stir constantly. Do this during both the melting and the foaming stages. I used one of my GIR heat-proof spatulas, but a whisk works well too.
Watch the color and smell. When the butter turns a light golden brown and smells nutty, take it off the heat. Another sign it's ready is small brown specks settling at the bottom of the pan.
Pour and chill. Right after you take the browned butter off the heat, pour it into a heat-proof bowl. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until it cools and firms up, about an hour. I used one of my glass mixing bowls.
Browning Butter Ahead of Time
You can brown butter up to 2-3 days ahead. Store it in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or in a sealed container.
I made extra for some other recipes I'm developing. When a recipe calls for melted butter, I microwave the amount I need. Use a food scale to measure the right amount for whatever you're making.
Want Tips for Freezing Unfrosted and Frosted Cakes?
Check out my single layer chocolate cake recipe! It covers how to freeze an unfrosted or frosted cake, or individual slices.
More Small Batch Recipes for You!
Single Layer Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
This 6 inch single layer carrot cake is wonderfully moist and fluffy, with cinnamon and chopped pecans in every bite. Serve it with this browned butter cinnamon cream cheese frosting for a delicious treat!
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 35 mins
- Total
- 55 mins
- Makes
- 6 servings
Ingredients
6 inch single layer carrot cake
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Finely Grated Carrots
- 1/4 cup Chopped Walnuts, optional for either adding to batter or as garnish (can also use chopped pecans)
small batch browned butter cinnamon cream cheese frosting
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, browned and cooled to solid state
- 4 oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 2 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
Method
- Set an oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Generously coat a 6 inch cake pan with flour-based baking spray, or grease and flour it. If you like, add a 6 inch parchment circle to the bottom of the pan and wrap a cake baking strip around the outside. Set it aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set it aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and egg together.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ones until just combined. Take care not to overmix the batter.
- Fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts (optional, or you can use chopped pecans).
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350ºF, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, frost with the small batch browned butter cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts (optional, or use chopped pecans).
- Melt the unsalted butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan (a light-colored one is best). Keep stirring as it bubbles and foams, then calms down. That's the water evaporating from the butter. Keep heating until it turns a light golden brown and smells nutty. This step takes about 7-8 minutes from start to finish.
- Take the browned butter off the heat right away and pour it into a heat-proof bowl. Cover it loosely and refrigerate until it cools and firms up, about an hour. If you browned it ahead of time, let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before using it.
- With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the browned butter on medium-high until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon and keep mixing until well blended. Scrape down the bowl's sides as needed.
- Lower the speed to low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again, then beat on medium-high for another 1-2 minutes.
- Frost the cake once it has cooled completely.
Baker’s notes
- The carrot cake and frosting are adapted from my Super Moist Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe.
- Recipe times include only the cake.
- For regular cream cheese frosting (also small batch), use room-temperature unsalted butter in place of browned butter, and leave out the cinnamon.
- Store frosted carrot cake in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap (1-2 layers works well), for up to 3 days.
