Carrot Cake Swirled Fudge Brownies with Vanilla Bean Salted Caramel Buttercream Recipe

2012 Scrumptious Spring Sweepstakes Runner Up Recipe. Created by Dr. Crystal Schmidt.

  • Medium
  • 6 servings
Ingredients

Vanilla Bean Salted Caramel Sauce

  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbs light corn syrup
  • 1 Rodelle Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean
  • 2 Tbs water
  • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbs heavy cream
  • 1½ Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • ½ tsp fleur de sel (crushed finely)

Fudge Brownie Batter

  • 8 Tbs unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour

Carrot Cake Batter

  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups finely shredded carrots
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Vanilla Bean Salted Caramel Buttercream

  • 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 8 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cup vanilla bean salted caramel sauce
Uses
Directions

Vanilla Bean Salted Caramel Sauce

  1. In a small to medium saucepan combine the sugar, corn syrup, seeds scraped from inside vanilla bean, and water.
  2. Add the ingredients carefully and try not to get any sugar on the side of the pan.
  3. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil without stirring. Continue cooking just until the syrup turns amber in color.
  4. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up; carefully stir until it is uniform.
  5. Add in the butter and stir until melted and well combined.
  6. Transfer the caramel to a dish and then stir in the salt. Let it cool completely.

Fudge Brownie Batter

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium sized microwave safe bowl melt the butter and then whisk in the white and brown sugars. When well-combined whisk in the baking cocoa.
  2. Add in the beaten eggs and vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture; stir well until combined. Fold in the flour and water and mix vigorously until well combined.
  3. Pour into a greased 9x9 square cake pan.

Carrot Cake Batter

  1. In one bowl, combine the eggs, vegetable oil and grated carrots; mix thoroughly.
  2. In a second bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  3. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir vigorously until well combined.
  4. Drop dollops of the carrot cake batter into the brownie batter in the pan and use a butter knife to cut into the batter and swirl them together.
  5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Vanilla Bean Salted Caramel Buttercream

  1. With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until well combined and lighter in texture, about five minutes.
  2. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition.
  3. Last, add in the vanilla bean salted caramel sauce and mix on low until it is combined.
  4. When the carrot-cake swirled brownies are completely cool, remove them from the pan; frost with the vanilla bean salted caramel buttercream, either using a piping bag or with an offset spatula. Garnish with grated carrot, chocolate curls, and any leftover caramel sauce.
  5. Serve and enjoy!