Dorothy Kern
This is the BEST Carrot Cake Loaf Cake you’ll ever make. It’s soft and FULL of carrot cake flavor with a delicious cream cheese frosting!
I know Carrot Cake is normally deemed dessert but since it’s in loaf form, I also call this a breakfast recipe. Yes?
I’m so exhausted you guys. This week I’m at the Mediavine Publishers Conference and it’s been 3 days of nonstop networking and learning. It’s been amazing, just tiring. The conference is being hosted at one of the Google complexes in Silicon Valley, so we leave the hotel on buses at 8am and then learn all day and go for dinner and go to bed too late.
Except today I just couldn’t keep going, so I left after lunch and am sitting in a quiet hotel room trying to stay awake and write this post. My brain is a little fried, so…that’s all for the chit chat.
It’s MARCH already (um, what?) which means that Easter is just around the corner. What’s something everyone makes at Easter? Carrot Cake!
(Why is carrot cake only a spring thing? I love it all year. In fact, it’s Mel’s favorite dessert, ensuring that every carrot cake I make goes on the Mel Ate It list.)
Carrot cake is one of those things I love in all forms: cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, pie, coffee cake…you name it, I love it.
For this easy carrot cake loaf recipe, I turned my favorite carrot cake recipe into two loaves. Sometimes loaf cakes are just better, you know? They’re easier to frost, slice, eat, and store…plus this recipe makes two so there’s one for me and one for you.
And also, let’s  not forget the frosting. Usually any cake I eat is a vehicle for frosting, but especially when it’s CREAM CHEESE frosting. Cream cheese frosting is the best frosting, especially when paired with the cake full of spices like ginger and cinnamon and carrots. It’s a bit spicy and a bit sweet and all delicious.
Move over Easter, I’m making carrot cake a year round thing. Plus, loaf cake is like quick bread and quick bread is for breakfast so now you can eat carrot cake for breakfast.
This moist Carrot Cake Loaf is a smaller version of my favorite carrot cake recipe topped with the most delicious cream cheese frosting!
How to make a carrot cake loaf with cream cheese frosting:
- This recipe makes TWO loaves. You could easily cut the recipe in half if you only want one, but I love making two. One to eat, one to gift.
- Be sure to shred your own carrots. The pre-shredded ones are too thick for cake.
- I love adding applesauce for two reasons: one, it cuts down on the amount of oil you need, and two, it gives a nice moist flavor to the cake.
- You can add nuts or raisins if you want. I love walnuts in carrot cake!
- Loaf cakes freeze really easily, frosted or unfrosted. That makes this the perfect cake to make ahead of time.
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The BEST Carrot Cake Loaf
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups 248g all purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups 312g packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup 99g granulated sugar
- 2 cups shredded carrots from about 4-6 carrots
For the Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup 113g unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups 340g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8x4-inch loaf pans.
- Whisk salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and flour in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk eggs until beaten, then whisk in oil, vanilla, applesauce and both sugars. Whisk until combined, then add dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Stir in carrots.
- Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 40-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean in the center.
- Let the cake completely cool before removing from the pan and frosting.
- To make the frosting: beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture comes together, then add vanilla and salt. Beat until smooth
- Remove cakes from pans and frost the top, then slice and serve.
- Store loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe Video
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Be sure to check out all my carrot cake recipes as well as other Easter recipes, Aimee’s Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake, these Carrot Cake Scones, or Jocelyn’s Carrot Cake Pound Cake!
Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cupcakes
**Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!**
All text and images © DOROTHY KERN for Crazy for Crust. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Published on: March 4, 2018
I have tried the recipe to gift a friend, I must say it came out perfect! My friend couldn’t hold herself, she finished the loaf all by herself the same day because it tasted like heaven.. it’s so moist and flavourful.
Thank you for the great recipe.
Great recipe! I made a few adjustments, I added 3/4 cup of unsweetened shedded coconut, 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/4 golden raisins. I revived many compliments.
Amazing recipe! What a success I had! Thanks so much! Loved the homemade frosting too.
Help! I don’t generally post bad reviews, but I was so disappointed in the results. The loaves were sooo oily that touching them would leave very greasy fingers and the smell was just awful. I weighed the oil (356g). Partly veg oil, when I ran out and continued with Sunflower seed oil. I bake with sunflower oil and also butter for recipes mostly. What could have gone wrong? Based on most reviewers they don’t mention about the oil.
The texture and taste otherwise seemed correct, but unedible because it looked like sponges soaked in oil, unfortunately so it all went to waste. What could have happened here?
Wow! Outstanding Carrot Loaf! I’ve been trying different recipes during our quarantine and found your recipe. I called my 3 adult children asking if they would like a curbside delivery of carrot loaf. Resounding yes from all 3. After using this recipe exactly as listed off I went to make deliveries. By the time I had arrived back home (30 minutes) the texts started coming in. Each asked for “another loaf(my oldest)!” “I wasn’t to ever lose this recipe!(Hubby)” “Can I have a copy of the recipe?(daughter)” My favourite is “It’s half gone, more please!(my youngest)” This is an outstanding recipe. I was concerned with the amount of sugar but understand why after baking. Nice caramelized edges. While it did seem greasy when trying to take them out of the loaf pan I found leaving it in the fridge for a few hours changes that. I think adding a bit of coconut and nuts would be a nice addition but it is perfect as it is! Thank you
OMG!!!! I don’t know why anyone would leave a bad review about this recipe. It’s super moist and the spice is amazing!!!! Definitely gonna make again! Turned out perfectly!!!
Followed directions exactly. Way too greasy. Very heavy. One & a half cups of oil seems too much. Very disappointed.
I should have read the reviews. I found recipe left this bread way too oily. We’re I to make again I would use 1 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup oil. However..it does have a nice spicy flavor.
I made this yummy recipe and highly recommend it as truly moist tasty carrot cake/bread. We chose to make a naked version with no frosting and it was to die for, delicious. The only change I made to the batter was to add 3/4 cup of chopped pecans. Totally amazing. Will definitely check here for new recipes.
Could this be made in a Bundt pan?
Your description of this carrot cake is indeed what you said!! Very soft and moist. I added an oat and honey crumble topping. Very delicious. 🙂
This was my first time ever making a carrot cake period. This is wonderful!!! I did add nuts and raisins. I may up the spice amounts next time I make it. I have one question. I was hoping for a more dense bread like texture like pumpkin bread. Is that possible with this recipe? Thank you Dorothy for sharing this fabulous Carrot Cake Loaf. YUMMMMY