Cardamom Brown Butter Carrot Cake With Espresso Frosting Recipes

Steps:

• For the spiced carrot cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-9-by-3-inch square baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper and butter and flour the paper.
• Brown the butter in a small stainless-steel saucepan over medium-high heat. It should melt, foam and then the foam should subside. When you smell a nutty aroma, remove the butter from the heat. Remember that it will continue to brown as it cools.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, vegetable oil, browned butter and vanilla in a medium bowl. Mix the eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar in an electric mixer until fluffy, about 4 minutes.
• Drizzle the oil mixture into the mixer and whisk until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and fold the dry ingredients into the mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then stir in the carrots. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• For the frosting: Dissolve the espresso powder in 2 tablespoons of hot water. Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, espresso and cardamom and beat until light and fluffy.
• To assemble: Remove the cake from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. Cut into 9 squares, then split each square in half horizontally. Spread some of the icing between two cake layers, then generously spread icing over the top and garnish with the candied walnuts.

Steps:

• For the cake:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Spray the paper and pans with baking spray. Set the pans aside until ready to use.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the oil and sugars together until combined. Mix in the vanilla and add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the carrots and pineapple and mix until combined.
• In a large bowl sift together the 2 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom and cinnamon. With the mixer speed on low, add the flour mixture to the carrot mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined. In a small bowl, toss the pecans with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour. Fold the pecans into the batter.
• Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 35 to 45 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely on the racks.
• While the cakes are cooling, prepare the icing. In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and cream cheese together until well combined. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the confectioners' sugar. Mix until combined. Add the vanilla and white chocolate. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside 1 cup of icing for decoration. Add the heavy cream and beat until combined.
• To frost the cake, arrange 1 cake layer on a cake plate. Spread the top with the cream cheese icing and top with a second and third cake layer, spreading the icing between each layer. Spread the icing on top and around the sides of the cake. Apply the almonds to the sides of the frosted cake. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a star tip, with the reserved icing and pipe a border around the top of the cake. Cut the cake and serve.