Maple Caramel Carrot Cake

Layers of spiced carrot cake enriched with maple syrup, topped with a maple caramel drizzle and creamy cream cheese frosting.

As we approach the end of August, Fall is just around the corner (my favorite season), and I couldn’t be more excited. We’re still in the midst of summer, so I’m not quite ready to dive into pumpkin-flavored recipes yet. However, I thought it would be the perfect time to create a transitional cake that reflects the season, using fresh carrots from your garden or local farmers market and combining them with the cozy flavors of maple to create this mouthwatering Maple Caramel Carrot Cake.

I faced numerous hurdles while making this cake, to the point where I almost felt like the universe didn’t want me to make this recipe. There are already so many carrot cake recipes out there, so why add another one, right? But I’m glad I didn’t give up, because this Maple Caramel Carrot Cake turned out to be truly unique.

How to Make Maple Caramel Carrot Cake?

Here’s an interesting fact I didn’t know before: purple carrots turn dark green when baked in a cake. It’s true! Initially, I envisioned using those beautiful rainbow carrots from the farmers market, the ones with vibrant colors in shades of orange, yellow, and purple. I thought they’d look stunning in a cake, offering such a pretty contrast—so beautiful, right? Unfortunately, when the cake layers came out of the oven, I quickly realized my rainbow carrot dream wasn’t going to come true.

Why Do Carrots Turn Green?

My research into this phenomenon led me to discover that it’s often the baking soda that causes carrots to turn green. Though it mainly affects regular orange carrots, the purple ones I used seemed to be particularly prone to this color change, possibly due to the acid in the baking soda. Regardless, I ended up scrapping the first batch of the cake due to dark green streaks running through the layers (not exactly what I had envisioned). Plus, the layers didn’t rise as tall as I hoped, so I had to adjust the recipe anyway. As disappointed as I was, I had to let go of the idea of the rainbow carrots.

Maple Caramel

The next challenge I faced was making the maple caramel. For some reason, I always have issues with caramel. It’s simple to make, but it never seems to go smoothly for me. Caramel and I aren’t the best of friends, and probably never will be. My first attempt seemed fine at first, but something went wrong, and I ended up with a crystallized, thick mess. However, attempt number two went much better.

Caramel Sauce Tutorial

If you’re interested, here’s an easy tutorial for making your own caramel sauce. This caramel sauce recipe requires only four ingredients and takes about 15 minutes to prepare.

What is Caramel?

Caramel is a golden-brown syrup made by melting sugar and then adding butter and cream. It’s a versatile ingredient used in cakes, frostings, and as a topping for many desserts.

Ingredients for Caramel

Granulated sugar
Water
Heavy cream (room temperature)
Butter (room temperature)
Flavorings (optional—vanilla, sea salt, bourbon, maple, etc.)

It’s essential that the cream and butter are at room temperature—preferably even slightly warmed—because drastic temperature changes can cause the caramel to seize or separate. If your cream is cold, warm it up in the microwave.

How to Make Caramel Sauce

Making caramel sauce is easy, but it does require some attention. Here’s the step-by-step guide:

Place Sugar and Water in a Pot: Combine the granulated sugar and water in a medium-sized pot. Stir until the sugar dissolves, but from this point forward, avoid stirring. Stirring can cause the sugar to crystallize and ruin the caramel.
Brush Sugar from the Sides of the Pot: Dip a pastry brush in water and use it to brush down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pot.
Bring the Sugar to a Boil: Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the sugar-water mixture to a boil.
Occasionally Brush the Sides: Every now and then, brush the sides of the pot with water to prevent crystallization.
Caramelize the Sugar: Continue cooking until the sugar starts to change color, usually taking about 5-10 minutes. Once it begins turning amber, swirl the pot to mix the sugar.
Cook Until Amber: Let the sugar reach a deep amber color, being careful not to burn it. Once you get that golden-brown color, it should smell amazing!
Whisk in the Heavy Cream: Remove the pot from the heat and slowly whisk in the room-temperature heavy cream. Be cautious as the mixture will bubble up.
Add Butter and Flavorings: Add room-temperature butter and any flavorings (like vanilla or sea salt) and whisk until smooth.
Simmer: Return the caramel to low heat and simmer for a minute or two while whisking gently.
Cool and Store: Allow the caramel to cool to room temperature before transferring it to a container. You can store it in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks.

Assembling the Cake

Putting the cake together wasn’t without its own challenges either. I was low on powdered sugar—something I never expected, considering how well I usually keep track of my ingredients. After searching for more powdered sugar and coming up empty, I realized my frosting was half a cup short, which made it softer than I intended. Usually, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but assembling a cake with soft frosting and warm caramel in 85°F (30°C) temperatures without air conditioning? Not the easiest task. But in the end, it all worked out, and this cake? It’s possibly my favorite cake ever!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I adjust the recipe?
This recipe works well in three 6-inch cake pans. If you’re using three 8-inch pans, multiply the recipe by 1.5. The baking time may need to be adjusted. For cupcakes, reduce the baking time and start checking around 15 minutes. You’ll get about 18-24 cupcakes, depending on their size.

Can I make the cake in advance?
Yes! You can bake the cake layers ahead of time, double-wrap them in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw for 2-3 hours before assembling. The frosting can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for 3 months. Just bring it to room temperature and rewhip before using. The caramel sauce can also be made a day ahead, stored at room temperature overnight, or refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Can I get the measurements in grams?
There’s a metric option in the recipe card. Clicking it will convert everything to grams, but note that the conversion is automatic, and I can’t guarantee 100% accuracy. Many readers have successfully used the metric option.

Maple Caramel Carrot Cake Ingredients

Carrot Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots (about 4 large carrots)

Maple Caramel

1 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cream cheese, chilled and cubed
Optional: cornstarch or meringue powder

Assembly

4 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Instructions for Cake and Assembly

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans with grease and flour.
Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
In a stand mixer, combine the oil and sugars, beat for 2 minutes, then add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and gradually mix in the dry ingredients followed by grated carrots.
Pour the batter into prepared pans and bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool on a wire rack.
Make the maple caramel by simmering maple syrup, adding cream and butter, and cooling.
For frosting, mix butter and powdered sugar, then incorporate cream cheese.
Assemble by layering the cakes, adding syrup, frosting, and caramel between each layer, and topping with toasted pecans.

Enjoy your delicious Maple Caramel Carrot Cake!

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