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Sweeten Up Your Spring
A recipe pairing for our Spring wine club releases, Stags' Leap 2020 Block 20 Merlot and 2021 Viognier.
Spiced Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
Sweeten up your Spring with this delicious, spiced carrot cake with brown butter frosting recipe. This classic dessert works for any celebration and pairs beautifully with our March wine club releases, our 2020 Block 20 Merlot, and 2021 Viognier. The spice characteristics in the carrot cake pair beautifully with the floral notes found in the 2020 Block 20 Merlot and the minerality of the 2021 Viognier.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons grated orange zest
- 4 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 ½ cups shredded peeled carrots
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Melt butter over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring until butter is golden brown and spoon is covered in flecks of caramelized milk solids. Remove from heat. Line a fine wire-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and pour melted butter through strainer into a container. Reserve caramelized milk fat and set aside. Let strained ghee cool completely for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Combine brown sugar and orange zest in a bowl and mix. Add eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and cooled brown butter ghee. Mix with an electric mixer on high until fluffy. Fold in carrots, pistachios and raisins. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Fold flour mixture into carrot mixture. Pour batter into pan in an even layer.
Bake carrot cake in oven for 35 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
Making the Frosting
Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and reserved caramelized milk fat with mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Reduce speed to low and beat in powdered sugar. Beat mixture until fluffy.
Spread frosting onto cooled carrot cake. Garnish with finely chopped nuts, decorations and enjoy!
Join the Wine Club
As a Stags' Leap wine club member, you will save 15% on your favorite wines in addition to receiving priority access to our most limited-production bottlings, invitations to exclusive events throughout the US, and complimentary tastings at our Napa Valley Estate.