Moist Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Mascarpone Frosting

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.

In a small measuring cup or bowl, stir together the milk and vinegar. Set aside for at least 5 minutes to make a quick buttermilk.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt and set aside. (*see notes on how to measure flour properly) ‍

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition.

Whisk in the vanilla extract and milk/vinegar mixture.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients mixing just until combined.

In a small bowl, toss the peeled and shredded carrots with 1 tablespoon flour.

Gently fold the carrots into the batter until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. For the most even layers, weigh the batter and divide it equally. (**see notes) ‍

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the centers spring back lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

After the cakes have completely cooled use a serrated knife to cut the very tops of the cake to properly level the cake. On a flat surface slice a thin layer of the dome part of the cake and at eye level the top of the cake should look flat.

In a light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. (***see notes on how to brown butter)

Continue cooking, stirring often, until the butter smells nutty and the milk solids turn golden brown.

Pour the browned butter into a bowl, immediately add the milk powder and let it cool in the fridge until solidified and spreadable.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cooled brown butter until smooth.

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until smooth like a paste and combined.

Add the mascarpone and mix on low speed just until combined and creamy. Do not overmix.

If needed, chill the frosting briefly for 10 to 15 minutes before frosting the cake.

In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.

Stir in the brown sugar, chopped pecans, salt, and cinnamon.

Cook, stirring often, until the sugar melts and coats the pecans, about 2 to 4 minutes.

Spread the pecans onto a piece of parchment paper and let them cool completely.

Break some of the pecans into pieces creating a variety of sizes.

On the center of a serving plate or cake stand add a small dollop of frosting to it to stabilize the cake. Place one cake layer on top of it, the side where you sliced the thin layer facing down.

Spread about 3/4-1 cup of frosting to the top center of the cake. With an offset spatula or the back of a spoon spread the frosting outwards keeping the frosting slightly thicker at the edges.

Gently place the second cake layer on top of the frosting.

Add a generous scoop of frosting to the top center of the cake. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the frosting outward toward the edges. Allow some frosting to slightly overhang the sides. Next, begin lightly sweeping the spatula down the sides of the cake. Hold the spatula almost parallel to the cake and use gentle, continuous motions. Avoid going back and forth repeatedly, as this can pull crumbs and create uneven patches. If frosting collects too heavily in certain spots, simply scrape off the excess and smooth lightly again. Best to use a bench scraper. The beauty of a naked cake is its rustic, imperfect finish. Once the sides are lightly coated, return to the top and refine the surface with slow sweeping motions. You can create soft swoops, a subtle spiral, or keep the top mostly flat for a clean bakery-style look.

Finish with the remaining toasted pecans on top of the cake and you can add some pecan crumbles to the sides of the cake.