San Antonio, Texas

Texas Pastry Chef Shares Her Signature Carrot Cake Recipe With Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing

09 August 2026

Clementine Pastry Chef Elise Russ shares her distinctive take on the classic dessert, finished with rich brown butter cream cheese icing

Pastry Chef Elise Russ of Clementine

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Clementine Pastry Chef Elise Russ is sharing the recipe for one of her signature desserts: a richly spiced carrot cake finished with brown butter cream cheese icing.

The dessert has earned a devoted following at Clementine, where Russ says guests regularly tell her it is the best carrot cake they’ve ever had. Now, with the cake back on the restaurant’s rotating menu for a limited time, she is sharing the recipe for home bakers to recreate it themselves.

Russ’s Carrot Cake begins with a richly spiced, tender cake filled with both traditional and golden raisins. She finishes it with brown butter cream cheese icing, adding a deeper, nutty richness to the familiar tang of cream cheese while keeping the warmth and comfort that make carrot cake such an enduring favorite. The recipe is also nut-free, another departure from many traditional carrot cakes.

The recipe is also nut-free, another departure from many traditional carrot cakes.

Carrot cake has always been one of those desserts that feels familiar and comforting, but I wanted to give it a little more personality,” said Russ, pastry chef and co-owner of Clementine. “The brown butter cream cheese icing adds a deeper, more unexpected richness while still keeping everything people love about a classic carrot cake. It’s one of those desserts we enjoy bringing back because it feels special every time it returns to the menu.”

Pastry Chef Elise Russ, Clementine

The dessert has a personal connection as well. Russ originally developed the recipe with her husband, Clementine Chef and Co-Owner John Russ, in mind. John is an enthusiastic carrot cake fan, and Elise has joked over the years about having to keep the dessert out of reach to prevent him from sneaking extra bites.

That balance between nostalgia and surprise is central to Russ’s pastry program at Clementine. Her desserts frequently begin with something recognizable before introducing unexpected flavors, textures or techniques.

The carrot cake is currently back on Clementine’s rotating dessert menu for a limited time, giving San Antonio diners the opportunity to try Russ’s version at the restaurant while home bakers can recreate it using the recipe below.

Watch Elise prepare the recipe here.

Elise Russ’s Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing

Yield: Up to 48 (2-inch-square) servings, depending on portion size

Pan: One 13 x 18-inch half-sheet pan

Carrot Cake Ingredients

1 cup raisins
1 ½ cups golden raisins
1 pound carrots
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Carrot Cake Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Shred the carrots using a grater to the desired size.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the raisins, golden raisins and shredded carrots.

5. Thoroughly grease one 13 x 18-inch half-sheet pan with softened butter or nonstick cooking spray, making sure to coat the corners and edges.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out free of wet batter.

7. Allow the cake to cool in the pan.

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

12 ounces browned butter, cooled
1 pound 8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces confectioners’ sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing Directions

Brown the butter, then set aside to cool completely.
Beat the cooled browned butter, cream cheese and seeds scraped from the vanilla bean until smooth.
Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Leave cake in the pan and spread cream cheese icing over the top
Refrigerate until serving

Assembly
1. Allow the carrot cake to cool completely in the pan.2. Spread the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing evenly over the top of the cooled cake.3. Refrigerate the finished cake until ready to serve.4. Slice and serve chilled, or allow the cake to sit briefly at room temperature before serving.

Once the cake layers are completely cool, place one layer on a serving platter or cake board. Spread an even layer of coconut buttercream over the top, then repeat with the remaining cake layers. Use the remaining buttercream to frost the top and sides of the cake, smoothing or swirling the finish as desired. For the cleanest slices, chill the assembled cake briefly before cutting, then allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

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MORE INFORMATION

About Elise Russ

Pastry Chef Elise Russ has been passionate about dessert since childhood, when she decorated cookies with generous piles of icing and began experimenting with baking at home. After taking a cake decorating class at a local JoAnn’s, Elise began making custom sweets for neighbors while keeping her grandfather supplied with biscotti and pizzelles.

She later earned a degree in Baking & Pastry Arts from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, and went on to work in hotels, restaurants and bakeries in London, Chicago, Georgia and Maryland before settling in San Antonio.

Today, Elise is the Pastry Chef and Co-Owner of Clementine alongside her husband, Chef John Russ. She is a proud member of the San Antonio chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International and has completed the Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program offered by the James Beard Foundation and Cornell University.

In addition to being a full-time restaurant owner and pastry chef, Elise is a mother of three and enjoys baking and decorating sugar cookies with her children.

About Clementine

Opened in 2018 in the Castle Hills community of San Antonio, Clementine is a family-owned neighborhood restaurant serving seasonal, innovative cuisine in a modern and lively atmosphere. Led by Chef and Co-Owner John Russ, a 2023 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Texas, and Pastry Chef and Co-Owner Elise Russ, a 2023 James Beard Award finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker, the restaurant features bold, globally inspired flavors through a rotating selection of small plates, generous platters, produce-forward sideboard options and nostalgic, imaginative desserts.

Many guests choose the signature Feed Me, a six-course, family-style dining experience in which Chef Russ and his team create a personalized menu for the table based on seasonal ingredients and creative pairings. In addition to dinner service Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Clementine offers lunch on the third Friday of every month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Clementine is also home to The Juice Box, a monthly wine club curated by the restaurant’s sommelier and Chef Russ, featuring unexpected, highly drinkable bottles to enjoy at home. For special occasions, the restaurant is available for private buyouts, while Clementine @Home brings the restaurant’s hospitality and flavor directly to guests through a fully staffed in-home dining experience.

Clementine is located at 2195 NW Military Highway, San Antonio, TX 78213. For more information, call (210) 503-5121 or visit www.clementine-sa.com. Follow on Instagram @clementine.sanantonio and like on Facebook @Clementine.SanAntonio.

Clementine

2195 Northwest Military Highway

Castle Hills, TX 78213
(210) 503-5121

HOURS
Tuesday - Saturday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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