Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
Carrot cake has always been one of my most favorite desserts. I usually order it at a cafe or after dinner, out at a restaurant. All that’s behind me now. This loaf is just like the cake but a bit lighter. Its ideal for breakfast or afternoon coffee time. Trust me, you need to make this loaf.
This carrot cake loaf is actually simple to make, the only prep necessary is to coarsely grate the carrots and chop up your walnuts (if you’re using walnuts). You can also make this in an 8 inch round cake pan. If you want a double layer cake, just double the loaf recipe.
For the frosting, make sure you let the loaf cool COMPLETELY. I was rushing the process, and as you can see, my frosting went on fluffy and then began to melt slightly. Please be patient. If you want your frosting thicker and fluffier, you can add more powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
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Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Loaf:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- pinch salt
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 2 large carrots, grated
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 2 tbs butter, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
Loaf:
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line your 9×5" loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, mix the oil and brown sugar. Mix in the carrots. Next, beat in the eggs with the mixer. Fold in the nuts. And lastly mix in the flour mixture until combined. Transfer the batter to your prepped pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. DO NOT ICE THE LOAF UNTIL IT IS COOLED COMPLETELY OR THE FROSTING WILL MELT.
Frosting:
- In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until incorporated. Add in the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
Absolutely amazing! It’s small and just the right amount of flavor. Making this again!
i am both pre-diabetic and empty nest.
I was impressed with the reviews, of which I read them all.
I made this this afternoon and substituted almond flour, i used splenda 1/2 real brown sugar and I swapped unsweetened applesauce for the oil.
I made a small amount of lemon glaze to top it.
It was amazingly good. The balance of the spices and proportions were excellent!
Sooooo…. I seem to be the only one who had this issue but mine was absolutely sunken in the middle. The weirdest part is that it was all cooked properly. I followed the recipe to a T. The edges rose nicely. (I’m also a very accomplished baker so I have no idea what went wrong. I can bake bread like no one’s business).
Hi Stella, I am loving this recipe. It is so delicious. I was wondering how many cups of carrots you use since carrots vary so much in sizes! Thanks, RaChelle
HI, I just want to make sure there’s only ONE cup flour in this Carret cake loaf?? the amount seems off to me.
We Enjoy your recipe’s!! Thank You
Hi, this looks so delicious. I need to make nut free due to allergy. Should I alter ingredients or replace nuts with seeds or coconut or…? Many thanks
Hi Phyllis, you can just leave out the nuts – you dont need to replace them for the recipe to work.
You can add seeds or coconut shreds if you like though. Enjoy!
I used one cup of”flour” using oat, soy and regular flour. Added golden raisins. Used 1/4 butter and 1/4 cup olive oil. It was delicious! Thank you for sharing!
That’s awesome feedback! Thank you for sharing with us and I’m glad you liked the recipe!
Made today and this recipe is fantastic.Instead of the oil I used apple sauce. It was so moist.Wondering how it would turn out if made as carrot slices in a baking sheet instead of a loaf.
If adding drained pineapple how much can I add and do I need to increase flour or any other ingredients ?
Thank you!
Hi Elle, most likely yes flour should be increased maybe add 1/4 to 1/3 cup pineapple thats been drained. I would add in another 2-3 tbs to account for the addition.
I made this carrot cake last night and I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious this recipe is. My husband and I both love carrot cake and we both think this recipe is a winner!
must try 😋
Yes you do Joseph! You will love it!
can you sub coconut sugar for the brown sugar?
yes!
Can I use almond flour instead of regular flour? Also, what can I use as a substitute for the powdered sugar for the frosting? Can I use maple syrup?
Hi! Can I use oat flour instead?
yes!
Delicious carrot cake loaf! I added some raisins and it turned out great.
Hi Sadaf, sounds perfect with the raisins!
Hi I am making this for Thanksgiving right now I do not have packed brown sugar, what can I use instead, I have brown demerra sugar (raw sugar) can I use that instead