Carrot Cake Loaf
The most delicious frosted Carrot Cake Loaf tastes just like the classic dessert but in an easy-to-make quick bread form! It’s perfectly moist and tender with the addition of naturally sweet grated carrots. Top it with a generous amount of tangy cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts for the perfect spring dessert!
If you love carrot cake, this Carrot Cake Loaf is a MUST try! It’s an irresistible, moist quick bread, easier to make than a layered cake, yet filled with that classic flavor. It’s finished with a velvety, rich cream cheese frosting slathered on top! Each bite is filled with the natural sweetness of carrots, complemented by hints of cinnamon, brown sugar and the optional crunch of toasted walnuts.
Carrot Cake Bread is the ultimate Easter treat, but it’s actually great to enjoy year round. This and our popular lemon zucchini bread are always a hit this time of year! And even though carrot cake is thought to be more of a dessert quick bread, you can totally enjoy it for breakfast or snack. It’s amazing paired with coffee!
Why this recipe works
- It tastes amazing! Perfectly sweet, moist and tender, then topped off with a tangy cream cheese frosting. You’re going to want to make this on repeat!
- A fuss-free quick bread: If you’re like me and can’t be bothered to make a full layer cake, whip this up in minutes. Once baked and cooled, spread the frosting on top, and it’s just as impressive and delicious as a full cake!
- Versatile: You can add the nuts or leave them out. Same with the icing – this carrot bread is actually so tasty even without adding the cream cheese frosting.
- Perfect spring treat: Bake this for all of your spring celebrations! Slice and serve for Easter brunch, baby showers, bridal showers and potlucks. Everyone will be asking for the recipe!
Looking for other quick bread recipes? Be sure to also check out this Applesauce Bread, Healthy Banana Bread and the best Pumpkin Loaf for more deliciousness!
Ingredients needed
This carrot cake loaf recipe comes together with common baking staples. You will be obsessed with the taste and texture, plus the frosting adds a creamy richness that perfectly complements the traditional carrot cake flavor. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Flour: For a soft, tender crumb, use all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour. To make this gluten free, try a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour.
- Baking essentials: The combination of baking soda and baking powder will give this loaf just the right amount of lift while baking.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds warmth and coziness. You can also add a dash of nutmeg and ground cloves, if you’d like.
- Sugar: Both granulated sugar and brown sugar add sweetness.
- Oil: For an ultra moist loaf, oil is better than butter. We typically use vegetable oil or canola oil, but melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil will work.
- Eggs: Two large room temperature eggs for structure and binding of ingredients.
- Grated carrots: The star of this recipe! Adds moisture, flavor, fiber and nutrition!
- Walnuts: Toasted walnuts add nutty flavor and a lovely crunch. You can omit or use chopped pecans, if you’d prefer.
- Frosting: Smooth and creamy, this simple cream cheese frosting is a mix of cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
Quick tip
Use freshly grated carrots! Do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are hard and dry. You need about 3 large or 4 medium carrots for this recipe. This box grater works very well! You’ll notice that they are wet, and this is the moisture for your delicious loaf!
How to make this recipe
This carrot bread recipe comes together with very little effort. Grab your mixer and a couple of bowls! Here’s the simple process:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with enough parchment paper to overhang the long edges of the pan.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- Beat wet ingredients: Using a stand mixer or large bowl and electric hand mixer, beat oil, sugar, and eggs together until light and creamy.
- Carrots and walnuts: Add grated carrots and walnuts and fold to combine.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold the mixture until no streaks of flour are visible. Do not over mix.
- Bake: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick test comes out clean.
- Cool in pan: Place the loaf tin on a wire rack to cool for approximately 45 minutes. Remove the carrot loaf from pan by using the parchment paper overhang as handles.
- Finish cooling on a plate: Place loaf on a plate and allow it to cool completely. This may take up to 90 minutes.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: Add the softened cream cheese and butter to a stand mixer or bowl, if using an electric hand mixer. Beat on medium low speed until the mixture is light and creamy.
- Add the sugar and vanilla: Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed until fully combined. Add the vanilla extract. Increase speed to medium and continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy.
- Frost: Add a generous layer of cream cheese frosting to the fully cooled loaf, generously slathering it all over the top. You can add frosting to the sides, if you’d like. Slice and serve.
Expert tips
- Prepare the loaf pan: Using parchment paper that is long enough to hang over the edges of the pan is best for easy removal and cleanup. However, if you don’t have parchment paper, be sure to grease your pan really well with oil or a nonstick cooking spray.
- Correctly measure flour: This recipe includes the measurements for ingredients in grams, which is the most precise way to measure when baking. You definitely want to make sure you have the correct measurement of flour, so this loaf doesn’t end up too dense or heavy. If you don’t have a food scale, lightly spoon the flour (don’t pack) into a measuring cup and without shaking the cup, use the straight side of a butter knife or other straight edge to level off the top.
- Use fresh baking soda & baking powder: For proper baking, be sure you’re using baking soda and baking powder that is no older than 6 months. I always write the date on the lid when I open a new container.
- Don’t over-mix the batter: Combine the wet and dry ingredients by gently stirring them together and mix just until moistened. Over-mixing the batter can produce tough baked goods. For more info, read this guide on overmixing.
- Toast the nuts: It’s an optional step, but we highly recommend toasting the walnuts. It adds a deep nutty flavor that’s just not present in raw nuts. Add them to a dry skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant and a shade or two darker, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Carrot bread requires all of the normal staple baking ingredients of most any quick bread. You’ll need flour, sugar, eggs and oil, as well as shredded carrots and you can add in walnuts if you’d like.
It is normal for walnuts to darken when baked with baking soda. This is a naturally occurring chemical reaction and will not change the flavor of the walnuts or the bread. To try to avoid this, you can toss the walnuts in a spoonful of plain flour (without any baking soda) before using them in the cake batter.
Most carrot cake recipes use vegetable oil (e.g., canola or sunflower oil) rather than butter as the primary fat. Oil-based cakes tend to be more moist and have a softer, more tender crumb.
Customize this recipe
Here’s some variation ideas to make this recipe your own:
- Not into frosting? Enjoy a warm slice with a pat of butter or smear of nut butter or jam on top. This carrot bread is incredible with or without the frosting!
- Nuts: Feel free to omit the walnuts in this recipe if you’re not a fan. You can make the bread nut free, or add in pecans or almonds instead.
- Fruit: Some people really love raisins in their carrot cake. To add some extra chewy sweetness, stir about 3/4 cup raisins into the batter before baking.
- Spices: If you’d like to add some other spices, feel free. You can add 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Storage recommendations
This carrot loaf cake stays moist for days and is delicious leftover! Here’s how to keep it fresh for longer:
- Storing leftovers: Wrap any leftover bread in plastic wrap and store on the counter for 3-4 days. Any longer than that and it would be best to refrigerate it. Wrap tightly and place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for about 1 week.
- Freezing: It’s best to freeze this without the frosting. First, let the bread cool completely. You can freeze individual slices by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap, then place them into a large freezer-safe ziplock bag, remove any air, and store in the freezer. Or wrap the whole loaf in aluminum foil and then place in a freezer-safe bag. Bread will keep well in the freezer for up to three months.
If you try this, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Carrot Cake Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) finely grated carrots, well packed (about 3 large or 4 medium carrots)
- 1 cup (125g) walnuts (optional), lightly toasted and chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons (30g) butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup (188g) confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with enough parchment paper to overhang the long edges of the pan.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or bowl and electric hand mixer, beat oil, sugar, and eggs together until light and creamy. Add grated carrots and walnuts and fold to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a silicone spatula, fold the mixture until no streaks of flour are visible. Do not over mix.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick test comes out clean.
- Place the loaf pan on a wire rack to cool for approximately 45 minutes. Remove the carrot loaf from pan by using the parchment paper overhang as handles.
- Place loaf on a plate and allow it to cool completely. This may take up to 90 minutes. Once fully cooled, ice the carrot loaf with cream cheese frosting.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, add the softened cream cheese and butter to a stand mixer or bowl, if using an electric hand mixer. Beat on medium low speed until the mixture is light and creamy.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed until fully combined. Add the vanilla extract. Increase speed to medium and continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add a generous layer of cream cheese frosting to the fully cooled loaf, generously slathering it all over the top. You can add frosting to the sides, if you'd like. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storing leftovers: Wrap any leftover bread in plastic wrap and store on the counter for 3-4 days. Any longer than that and it would be best to refrigerate it. Wrap tightly and place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for about 1 week.
- Freezing: It’s best to freeze this without the frosting. First, let the bread cool completely. You can freeze individual slices by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap, then place them into a large freezer-safe ziplock bag, remove any air, and store in the freezer. Or wrap the whole loaf in aluminum foil and then place in a freezer-safe bag. Bread will keep well in the freezer for up to three months.
Did you make this recipe?
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This was so amazing! The taste and texture were both so good!
I absolutely adore carrot cake, and this version turned out so good! My whole family thoroughly enjoyed it!
Do you think it would work with flax eggs?
I haven’t tried it, but I really don’t see why it wouldn’t. Let us know how it works for you, if you give it a try. 🙂
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