My Perfect Carrot Cake

Brown butter, white miso & cinnamon spiced carrot sponge, maple candied walnut praline, & maple crème fraîche frosting.

Hello, everyone! At the suggestion of one of you, I’ve developed my ideal carrot cake! Carrot cake has a tendency to be considered a boring, plain, and somewhat geriatric dessert. So, with a few additions, I revamped this classic Easter treat into something a bit more exciting!

The sponge of this carrot cake utilizes brown butter and white miso (you don’t taste the miso, I promise!) for depth and intrigue. The brown butter adds a nutty note that plays off the walnut well, while the miso adds umami, salt, and contrast to the high sugar content. The sponge is light yet rich, spiced with cinnamon and studded with walnut pieces. I personally don’t care for raisins in my carrot cake but feel free to add some if that’s your cup of tea!

In addition to the walnut pieces that are baked into the cake, I’ve added a maple walnut praline sandwiched between the layers. This praline adds a burst of sweetness, and, most notably, a nice crunchy textural contrast between the very soft sponge and frosting.

The maple crème fraîche frosting is sweet, tangy, and far superior to the cream cheese counterpart usually paired with carrot cake. Crème fraîche is a bit thinner and lighter than cream cheese, which I find yields a much more pleasant and less cloying frosting. This frosting is very soft so I would not recommend it for intricate piping or detail work when decorating.

To decorate, I swirled the frosting, added additional maple candied walnuts, some drizzles of maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, and florals, but feel free to decorate in whatever way your heart desires!