Skillet Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

Preparation

Carrot cake is a classic, but everyone has their own take on the best version. Ours is packed with nuts, fruit, and carrots, and then baked in the same pan used to toast the pecans and brown the butter. If you’re not a fan of golden raisins, feel free to swap in any pitted and chopped dried fruit you like. This recipe yields enough cream cheese frosting for a generous layer, but you can easily double it if you're a "more is more" kind of person.

*This recipe originally ran stateside on HexClad.com.

1. Position a rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F/175°C.
2. In a small bowl, cover golden raisins with boiling water. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes; drain well.
3. Meanwhile, in a HexClad 4.5QT/4.3 L Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan, toast pecans over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer nuts to a cutting board and roughly chop. 
4. In the sauté pan, add cubed butter and cook, stirring constantly, until butter smells nutty and brown specks begin to form, 3 to 4 minutes. This will happen very quickly. Pour browned butter into a small bowl and let cool to room temperature. Remove pan from heat and use a rubber spatula or paper towel to thoroughly grease bottom and sides of pan with any leftover browned butter; let cool completely. 
5. In a medium bowl, whisk flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
6. In a large bowl and using a handheld electric mixer, beat brown sugar with eggs on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually stream in oil. Increase speed to medium-high and continue beating until mixture is pale and falls from beaters in thick ribbons, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a large spatula, fold in grated carrots, raisins, and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract. Wrap drained pineapple in a clean kitchen towel and twist to squeeze out any excess moisture—you should have about ⅓ cup/90 grams of pineapple. Fold into wet ingredients.
7. Fold in half of dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in ⅔ cup/160m of the buttermilk until smooth, then fold in remaining dry ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in 1 cup/114 grams of the chopped pecans, reserving remaining chopped pecans for garnish. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Bake cake until top is set and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool completely, about 2 hours. 
8. Meanwhile, in a large bowl and using a handheld electric mixer, beat cream cheese with cooled brown butter and remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Sift half of confectioners’ sugar into bowl and beat on low speed until incorporated. Repeat with remaining sugar. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of buttermilk and increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and very fluffy, about 2 minutes. You should have about 2½ cups/525 grams of frosting. 
9. Spoon frosting onto center of cooled cake and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle reserved chopped pecans in a circle around edge of cake. Cut cake into 10 to 12 slices and serve. 

MAKE AHEAD The cake and frosting can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store cake at room temperature in the pan and covered with plastic wrap. Refrigerate frosting and bring to room temperature before using. Any leftover cake can be refrigerated for up to 7 days and should be brought to room temperature before serving.