Grandma’s Carrot Cake

Yield:

12 servings

For the cake

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350° and set a rack to the middle position. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter, then sprinkle it with flour, shaking to coat every side.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1½ cups flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until no streaks remain. Fold in the carrots and nuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the edge of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Meanwhile, make the frosting.

For the frosting

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 block (8 ounces) full-fat cream cheese, softened 
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
2 ½cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until the butter foams and turns golden brown and the milk solids settle to the bottom, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, pour into a bowl, and set aside to cool to room temperature. Add the cooled butter to a large bowl with the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Frost cake and serve.