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Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

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I’m super excited to share these adorable Easter themed carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting with you! Carrot cake is a must-have for us around this time of year. It’s like THE intro to Spring sweet treat for us. Carrot cake is my husband’s favorite cake. In fact, he has requested my carrot cake so often that my littlest once requested carrot cake for her birthday, without even having tried it. Now, she LOVES carrot cake. With Easter right around the corner, these cupcakes make the perfect dessert to serve at your Easter gatherings.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

These carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting are the absolute best. They’re moist, loaded with freshly grated carrots and full of balanced warm spices. They’re super easy to make and will keep for a couple days so they can be made in advance. They remain moist and flavorful even after a couple days, which is a rarity with scratch made cupcakes. And the brown butter cream cheese frosting? Out. of. this. world. Nutty, tangy, creamy deliciousness. I actually had a little bit of frosting left over so I dipped some fresh strawberries in the frosting for an afternoon snack. So good!

The recipe instructions state to make these using a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer or a whisk if you wish. This is a two bowl method cake, much like a standard muffin batter. In one bowl you will combine your dry ingredients and in a larger bowl, you’ll combine the wet. You want to make sure your wet ingredients – brown sugar, carrots, eggs, vanilla, and oil are thoroughly combined. Add the dry ingredients – flour, spices, salt and baking soda to the wet and mix just until combined. Easy peasy and fast.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

A couple notes on the ingredients. I used a flavorless oil here instead of butter which I would usually use in a vanilla or delicately flavored cake or cupcake. Butter flavor is a key component in lighter flavored cakes but isn’t necessary here. I have made these with all butter, and half butter, but I found them to be too spongy and they were a bit drier and dried out much faster. Oil keeps these cupcakes moist and texturally awesome. I also used all brown sugar for one reason alone – flavor. The caramel-ly, molasses flavor of brown sugar is perfect in these carrot cake cupcakes and adds that flavor that granulated sugar can’t deliver.

It’s important to use freshly grated carrots for these cupcakes. The pre-grated variety is too hard, too dry and too large for this cake. Using freshly grated carrots will provide more flavor but also more moisture for the cupcakes. For the spices, I used cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a small pinch of cloves. I think that these cupcakes are perfectly spiced and perfectly balanced, but as you make these cupcakes over time, feel free to tweak the spices to suit your flavor preference.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

I’m usually a no fuss, no frills, no add-in’s sort of lady when it comes to carrot cake. However feel free to add your favorite carrot cake mix-in’s as you wish. When I bake this recipe up as cakes for my clients, I’ve added coconut, toasted nuts, raisins, golden raisins and dried cranberries without any issue. Dried cranberries and toasted pecans is a winner in this recipe. Super yummy.

The brown butter cream cheese frosting is equally easy to make, though it does need a little bit more time. Browning the butter will need to be done in advance and refrigerated until cooled and solid again. I make my brown butter a day to a couple days in advance and store in the refrigerator until I need to use it. Bring out both your cream cheese and butter to sit out on the counter for 30 minutes or so, just to take the chill off. If your brown butter is super hard, microwave in 5 second increments, for about 15 seconds or so, just to soften it slightly for easier mixing.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Beat both the brown butter and the cream cheese together until creamy. This could take a few minutes since both the butter and the cream cheese are still cool. Add the confectioners sugar a bit at a time, add the vanilla and mix until combined. Then, increase the speed to medium and beat the frosting. This will lighten the frosting and thicken it up a bit. Beating the frosting introduces air, contributing to the lightness of it, but it also smooths the frosting, getting rid of that grainy texture that can sometimes accompany cream cheese frostings. This is a looser style cream cheese frosting that’s perfect for icing cupcakes or used as a cake filling.

To decorate the cupcakes, I toasted some sweetened coconut in a skillet over low heat and once cooled, I sprinkled a little bit on the cupcakes to give the appearance of a bird’s nest. I placed Cadbury chocolate mini eggs in the center to complete the nest. I think they’re super cute and both kids and adults will love them!

These carrot cake cupcakes can be made as a layer cake. Bake one and a half recipes or a double batch (thicker layers) of the recipe for 2 or 3 – 8″ pans. One thing to note about this recipe, particularly when converting it to cakes, is that this recipe is formulated to get domed cupcakes, so cake layers will also dome. Use bake even strips and bake at a slightly lower temperature for baking this recipe into cakes.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

If you try these carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram. I love seeing your Little Vintage Baking creations!

For another delicious cake, check out my chocolate stout layer cake with Irish cream butter cream and Irish whiskey ganache.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
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Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist, and flavorful carrot cake cupcakes topped with nutty, creamy brown butter cream cheese frosting

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Cupcakes:

  • 1 cup (8oz) canola oil
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract, I use Rodelle
  • 3 cups (9oz) peeled, finely grated fresh carrots
  • 2 cups (14oz) light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 cups (9oz) all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 3/4 tsp baking soda

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1 cup (8oz) unsalted butter
  • 2 blocks (16oz) Philadelphia cream cheese
  • 8 cups (32oz) confectioner's sugar
  • 3 tsp pure vanilla extract, I use Rodelle

Instructions

Make the carrot cupcakes.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F with the rack placed in the center of the oven. Line two cupcake tins with cupcake liners. 

  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and baking soda. Whisk the flour mixture to thoroughly combine and break up lumps. Set aside.

  3. Combine the oil, freshly grated carrots, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla into the bowl of stand mixer and mix on low speed until fully combined.

  4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the carrot mixture. Mix until just combined.

  5. Use an ice cream scoop to distribute batter evenly into the cupcake tins. They should be about 3/4 full.

  6. Place the cupcakes in the oven and bake for 14-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with minimal crumbs and no wet batter.

  7. Leave the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place on cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.

Make the brown butter cream cheese frosting.

  1. Place the butter into a skillet set over medium-low heat. Cook the butter until it gives a nutty aroma, is no longer making popping noises and has turned an amber color.

  2. Remove the butter from the heat and let it cool in the pan until lukewarm. Poor the butter into a container and pop in the fridge to cool completely and re-solidify.

  3. Once the butter is set, remove the butter and the cream cheese from the fridge to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes or so. 

  4. Place the butter and the cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer. If the butter is still very firm, microwave it in 5 second increments, up to 15 or 20 seconds until softened slightly.

  5. Beat the butter and the cream cheese until completely combined and lightened in texture and color, about 3 minutes.

  6. Add the confectioner's sugar in gradually, mixing on low to combine the sugar into the mixture before adding more. Add the vanilla extract.

  7. Turn the mixture speed up to medium and beat until lightened in color and texture, about 5 minutes. Place the frosting into a piping bag fitted with your preferred piping tip and top the cupcakes.

Recipe Notes

The cupcakes, without frosting can be stored for up to three days at room temperature in a air tight container. 

The cupcakes with frosting must be refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Stout Layer Cake with Coffee Irish Cream Buttercream and Irish Whiskey Ganache

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St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner! What better dessert to follow your corned beef and cabbage than this chocolate stout layer cake with coffee Irish cream buttercream and Irish whiskey ganache? This cake highlights some of Ireland’s best alcohols – Guinness Stout, Jameson Whiskey and Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur. The chocolate stout cake is out of this world delicious on it’s own, or with a multitude of fillings and butter creams. But, layering and topping the cake with Jameson Whiskey infused chocolate ganache and a coffee and Bailey’s Irish Cream infused Swiss meringue buttercream takes this chocolate stout layer cake to a whole other level of amazing.

I actually have this stout cake on my wedding cake menu. It is one of my most popular flavors for groom’s cakes and is a huge hit with both beer lovers and non-beer fans alike. It’s a rich and chocolaty cake with deep coffee notes and a roasted flavor from the stout beer.

Chocolate Stout cake

When I chose recipes for my business, I chose cakes with a tight, fine grain crumb, moist on it’s own without the need of moistening syrups, and incredibly flavorful, as well as being functional and a good foundation for stacked and tiered cakes. This chocolate stout cake is not only amazing because it tastes phenomenal, but also because it’s crazy functional. Especially, for making into a towering layer cake beauty. It can easily be scaled to make larger and smaller cakes, and it can also be carved for sculpted cakes.

The chocolate stout layer cake can be made with any stout beer you like. I used Guinness Stout because it’s easy to find and I enjoy the flavor of it. A chocolate milk stout would be fabulous here. I also baked my cakes in two pans, then sliced (or torted) those cakes into two. You can also divide the batter into three tins and bake as three separate layers if you wish.

Chocolate Stout Cake

You can use bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate for the ganache. The ganache is a standard 2:1 recipe, with two parts of chocolate to one part cream. This will allow you to use it as a drip consistency and as a spreadable frosting-like consistency between the layers. I like to add a little bit of corn syrup and butter to my ganache to allow it to have a bit more softer consistency when chilled. The butter and corn syrup allow it to be a bit creamier and gives it a bit more shine on the drip.

Avoid chocolate bark, low quality chocolate chips and candy melts for ganache. Use a higher quality chocolate here. The better quality the chocolate, the better the texture and the taste. I also add a little bit of Irish whiskey – I used Jameson – to my ganache for additional flavor. Allow the ganache to cool until it’s smooth and spreadable, like peanut butter.

I use Swiss meringue buttercream for this recipe as I love how well it holds the flavor of the coffee and the Irish Cream. Check out my post on Swiss meringue buttercream for the recipe and tutorial on how to make this silky and delicious buttercream. I flavored the Swiss meringue buttercream with cooled, prepared espresso (you can also use strong coffee) and Bailey’s Irish Cream. The coffee flavor complements the chocolate and the stout flavors from the cake. The Irish cream is the final touch, complementing the chocolate and the coffee so well. They are flavors that are meant to be. It’s so good! Definitely don’t leave out the Irish cream here.

I chose to keep the decoration on this cake pretty minimal. I was planning on doing a semi-naked drip but I actually loved how the Swiss meringue buttercream sort of had that two toned messy suede look, so I kept it. To get this look, I iced the cake completely and popped it in the fridge to chill. Once it chilled for 30 minutes or so, I pulled it out of the fridge, and filled in any holes or messy areas with buttercream. I used my cake scraper (or bench scraper) and smoothed the buttercream out completely, which blended both the chilled and room temperature buttercream and created that two tone look and some additional texture.

Chocolate Stout cake

For the drip, I heated the remaining ganache just until it was the same consistency of what it was when I first made it. Then I poured it into a squeeze bottle to add the drips to the cake. You can also use a spoon to apply the drips instead, if you wish. I added the drips first then I filled in the top with the remaining ganache. Work quickly because the ganache wants to set up quickly on the chilled cake.

There you have it, chocolate stout layer cake with coffee Irish Cream buttercream and Irish whiskey ganache. After I was done shooting the photos for this cake, part of it went to weekend cake tastings and consultations, but the remainder of it was sent off with my husband to a business meeting where it was promptly polished off. They even sent me a video raving about the cake. It’s THAT good.

Chocolate Stout Cake

If you try this chocolate stout layer cake with coffee Irish cream buttercream and Irish whiskey ganache, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram. I love seeing your Little Vintage Baking creations!

chocolate stout cake
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Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Irish Cream Buttercream and Irish Whiskey Ganache

A moist and chocolaty stout cake filled and dripped with dark chocolate Irish whiskey ganache and filled with coffee Irish Cream Swiss meringue buttercream
Course Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 24 1" x 2" x 5" servings

Ingredients

Chocolate Stout Layer Cake:

  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted stick butter, softened
  • 2 1/4 cups (504g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 1/3 cup (315g) all purpose flour
  • 1 cup (120g) high quality cocoa powder, Dutch processed, sifted to remove lumps
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 bottle (12oz, 350ml) Guinness stout beer, or your favorite stout, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (60g) mayo, room temp
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Irish Whiskey Ganache:

  • 8 oz (227g) chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
  • 1/2 cup (116ml) heavy cream
  • 1/2 tbsp light corn syrup
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp Irish whiskey, I used Jameson
  • Pinch fine sea salt

Coffee Irish Cream Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

  • 1 batch prepared Swiss meringue buttercream, omitting the vanilla
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) brewed Espresso, room temperature
  • 2-3 tbsp Irish Cream, I used Bailey's
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the chocolate stout layer cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the bottoms and sides of 2 - 8" x 2" round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment. Create a parchment collar to go around the sides of the pans.

  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine well.

  3. In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and stout. Whisk to combine.

  4. Place the softened butter and the brown sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the brown sugar on medium speed until it is very light in color and super fluffy, about 6-8 minutes. 

  5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl with spatula after each addition. 

  6. Add one third of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low until just combined. Pour half of the beer mixture into the bowl and mix on low until just combined.

  7. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Scrape the bowl to make sure the ingredients are incorporated. The mixture might look curdled at this point, but it will come back together.

  8. Add an additional one third of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add the remaining beer mixture and mix just until combined. 

  9. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure the ingredients are incorporated. 

  10. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there are not any pockets of butter or flour remaining.

  11. Place the bowl back on the stand mixer. With the mixer speed on low add the mayo. Mix for 10 seconds.

  12. Combine the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the cake batter and mix on low for an additional 10 seconds.

  13. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Portion the batter evenly into the prepared pans. 

  14. Bake the cakes on the center rack of the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. You will want to start watching for the cakes to be done, when the tops dome and start to crack a bit.

  15. Remove the baked cakes from the oven. If they have domed at all, use a tea towel to gently press down the domes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. 

  16. Run a butter knife around the edge of the pans, remove the parchment collar and turn the cakes out onto a wire rack. Cool to room temperature. 

  17. Wrap the cakes tightly with a couple layers of plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill completely before assembling.

    The cakes will keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a zip top bag in the refrigerator for up to three days. The cake layers can also be frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap and placed in a zip top bag. I personally don't like to freeze longer than a week, but you can freeze these layers for up to three weeks. Defrost the layers in the refrigerator before using.

Make the Irish Whiskey Ganache:

  1. Place the chopped chocolate and butter into a medium size bowl. Set aside.

  2. Heat the heavy cream, salt and corn syrup in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat on the stove until the mixture begins to simmer. 

  3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for a minute to allow the chocolate to melt. Gently whisk the chocolate and cream until smooth.

  4. Add the Irish whiskey and whisk to combine.

  5. Place the ganache into the refrigerator until it is a thicker, spreadable consistency, like peanut butter, about 30 minutes or so.

Make the Coffee Irish Cream Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

  1. Add the salt, espresso and Irish cream to the prepared buttercream. Mix on low until incorporated completely and the buttercream is silky and smooth

Assemble the Layer Cake:

  1. Work with chilled cake layers. Using a long serrated knife torte the layers, cutting them evenly in half. You will have four cake layers total. The tops of the cakes will be the center two layers of your cake.

  2. Put one of the cake layers, cut side up onto an 8" cake board or directly onto a cake stand.

  3. Spread a thin, even layer of the ganache on the cake layer with an offset spatula. 

  4. Spread about one cup of the buttercream on top of the ganache using an offset spatula to evenly distribute the buttercream. You're looking for the buttercream to be about 1/4 inch thick. 

  5. Place another cake layer on top, top up, and press down gently so that the layer is adhered to the buttercream. Repeat the previous two steps, applying the ganache and buttercream. 

  6. Place the third layer cake layer, top up, and press down gently so that the layer is adhered to the buttercream. 

  7. Add the final ganache layer. Add the final buttercream layer. Place the final cake layer (the bottom of one of the cakes) bottom side up on the buttercream, pressing gently to adhere. 

  8. Frost the cake with the remaining coffee Irish cream buttercream. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

  9. Microwave the remaining ganache in 3-5 second intervals, stirring after every interval until the ganache is loose and pourable but not hot. 

  10. Add the drips around the perimeter of the cake. Fill in the top of the cake with the ganache and smooth.

  11. Slice into pieces and serve.

    The completed cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. Bring to room temperature before serving. 

Recipe Notes

To adjust the recipe for different size pans: (Creates 2 - 2" layer cakes to be torted, or you can divide them into three pans)

Halve the recipe for 6" cakes

One and a half recipes for 10" cakes

Two and a half recipes for 12" cakes

Cake layers adapted from The Sweetapolita Bakebook