Carrot Cake Loaf

When it comes to classic desserts that always taste incredible, you can’t beat a carrot cake loaf. It’s bursting with incredible spices, and the freshly grated carrot gives this loaf a moistness that you just can’t beat!

Although it tastes complex and layered, this is a ridiculously easy recipe to whip up. Yep – that includes the sinful cream cheese frosting!

Oh, and did I mention that it doesn’t take long to make and stores like a dream? Score!

You’ll need to keep an eye on your mixing to avoid an overworked and dense cake. But as long as you follow this failsafe recipe (trust me, I’ve made this for years!), you should be good to go.

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And if you feel like switching things up, you can throw in raisins, extra nuts, and even dried cranberries if you’re feeling particularly festive! 

Seriously, the sky’s the limit when dessert is this delicious.

Why You’ll Love This Carrot Cake Loaf

• It’s super simple to make and is the perfect treat for any time of year!
• The cream cheese frosting is ridiculously creamy and complements the loaf base beautifully.
• Loaves are slightly easier to store than traditional cakes (for more space in the fridge!)
• The cake freezes well if you fancy a treat in a few months.
• It stays moist for days and is made with super simple ingredients for an effortless dessert.

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Loaf

• All-purpose flour
• Cinnamon 
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Light brown sugar – I do not recommend using dark brown sugar. It contains more molasses and may change the outcome of the cake. 
• Granulated sugar
• Canola oil
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Milk – I used 2% milk.
• Grated carrots – Use a food processor to shred about 10 medium carrots. 
• Walnuts or pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream cheese – When softening cream cheese, do not leave it on the counter for long than 2 hours. 
• Butter – Unsalted or salted butter is fine.
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar

How to Make Carrot Cake Loaf

• Step One: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with shortening or butter and line with a small piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
• Step Two: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Step Three: In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, sugar and oil.
• Step Four: Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until the eggs are just incorporated.

• Step Five: Fold in the dry ingredients until the batter is too dry and stiff to mix, then pour in the milk. Continue folding until the milk is completely mixed in. The batter will be thick and wet.

• Step Six: Fold in the carrots and walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

• Step Seven: Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes and then remove it from the pan. Finish letting it cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.

• Step Eight: Cream together the cream and butter with an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
• Step Nine: Add the vanilla extract and gradually add the powdered sugar until the frosting is thick and smooth.
• Step Ten: Spread the frosting over the cake and sprinkle with walnuts, if desired.

Equipment Needed 

Although you won’t need much to make this carrot cake loaf, having the right equipment makes all the difference.

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• 9×5 inch loaf pan
• Parchment paper
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Mixer

What to Serve with Carrot Cake Loaf

• Stabilized Whipped Cream
• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• No-Churn Maple Pecan Ice Cream

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• I always recommend using a food processor to shred your carrots. It’s so much quicker and produces a finely-grated result that you just won’t get by hand.
• Try not to overbeat your eggs as this can affect the final rise of your bake.
• It’s a good idea to keep your eggs, cream cheese, and butter at room temperature to make them easier to mix. Just don’t leave your cheese or butter out for too long!
• Make sure you measure your flour exactly. If you use too much or too little, your cake could end up with a strange texture.
• If you can, try and use freshly grated carrots for the best flavor. Plus, fresh carrots have more moisture than pre-grated versions!
• I know it’s tempting, but try not to open the oven doors until your cake has finished baking. This will give you an amazing rise and makes sure the cake is fully baked through.
• Don’t skip the parchment paper. Not only does this help your loaf bake evenly, but it makes getting it out of the pan way easier.

Substitutions and Variations

• If you don’t like walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts are crunchy alternatives that work just as well.
• If you want more texture in your cake, you can top this loaf with shredded carrots or cinnamon. Hey – it adds extra flavor too!
• I recommend using salted butter in the frosting if you want to balance the sweetness of the sugar slightly. If you don’t have it on hand, don’t stress!
• If you don’t have vegetable oil, canola oil is a suitable alternative.
• I’m a sucker for raisins, and they work extremely well if you want to add some dried fruit to your cake. If you want something festive, try dried cranberries!

Storage Instructions

This carrot cake stores relatively well, but the cream cheese frosting makes it tricky to keep at room temperature.

To maintain the integrity of your frosting, store the loaf covered or in an airtight container.

If stored properly, it should last up to 6 days before it starts to deteriorate.

As you’re using cream cheese frosting, you shouldn’t let your cake sit on the counter for more than 2 hours – so, be careful!

Can I Freeze?

You sure can!All you need to do is cover the carrot cake loaf in plastic wrap and keep it inside one of your freezer drawers.

It should stay delicious for up to 3 months.

As the cream cheese frosting doesn’t freeze overly well, I suggest freezing the cake without the frosting if you want it to last.

Plus, it’s way less messy if you were planning to freeze your cake in individual slices.

For more loaf recipes, try this Zucchini Bread, Pineapple Cheese Bread, Peach Bread or Apple Cheddar Quick Bread.

What loaf recipes are you baking these days?

You’ll also like this Cream of Carrot Soup and Sour Cream Raisin Bars.

Carrot Dessert Recipes

• Carrot Cake Cups
• Classic Carrot Cake

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