Easy Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe
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This Easy Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe is moist and delicious, and should be on your Easter table! Full of carrots and topped with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting, this carrot cake loaf will make your guests swoon!
Would you rather make cupcakes? Try my simple Carrot Cake Cupcakes!
Carrot Cake Bread
There is nothing better than a quick bread, and this one is on serious repeat as soon as the weather starts feeling like Spring. Spring has sprung, y’all!
This bread is super moist due to the applesauce, oil, and the little bits of carrot throughout. It also gets topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting that’s got a touch of cinnamon. The taste is out-of-this-world delicious! Trust me!
Why this recipe works
- It’s simple. You’ll need a few bowls (one for the dry ingredients, one for the wet ingredients, and one for the frosting) and a hand mixer. While the bread is baking, you can easily mix up the frosting. Really simple!
- You can make it ahead of time. This bread freezes very well, but wait to frost it until later.
- This bread is super moist. Those little bits of carrot really make this bread moist. You can’t really taste them, but boy do they make delicious bread.
- The presentation is picture worthy! Right? Don’t you want to impress your family and guests? I think yes. 😀 You can add any type of extra design on the tops of the frosting too.
Ingredient Notes
- Carrots – The KEY ingredient and what makes this recipe special. FINELY dice the carrots or shred them.
- Oil – If you avoid canola oil, you can use melted butter or another type of oil (like coconut oil).
- Applesauce – Cinnamon applesauce (or unsweetened) helps keep this bread extra moist.
- Sugar – I used all brown sugar, but you could also substitute some regular granulated sugar too.
- Spices – A perfect blend of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg adds incredible flavor!
How to make Carrot Cake Loaf:
Step 1
Mix the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients – the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Combine well.
Step 2
Mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla.
Step 3
Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir with a spoon until just combined.
Step 4
Shred carrots. Use a shredder or a sharp knife to shred/cut the peeled carrots into very small pieces. I used a knife and cut them VERY small.
Step 5
Add carrots to batter. Combine the carrots with the carrot cake batter, and stir until mixed in.
Step 6
Pour batter into loaf pans. Spray two loaf pans and pour the batter evenly into both pans, smoothing it to all sides.
Step 7
Bake. Bake the carrot cake bread in a preheated 350-degree oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until just done in the center. Don’t over-bake! Let bread sit in pans for about 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack.
Step 8
Make cream cheese frosting. In a small mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the softened cream cheese and butter together until very creamy. Then add the vanilla, cinnamon, and powdered sugar and mix again until very well mixed, approximately one minute or so.
Step 9
Frost carrot cake loaves. Use a spoon to frost the cooled carrot cake loaves. I topped them with some shredded carrots, but that’s for presentation purposes only!
Storing and Freezing
STORE. Store these loaves in airtight containers. They’ll be fine on your countertop for a couple of days, but if your house is warm, I recommend storing in your refrigerator.
FREEZE. These carrot cake loaves freeze well, unfrosted, for up to three months. Wrap tightly in cling wrap and store in freezer bags.
Recipe FAQs
Use whole carrots and peel and grate (or finely chop) them. Avoid prepackaged mini carrots or shredded carrots. They won’t taste as good as whole carrots.
I recommend shredding the carrots pretty fine. I used a knife and just chopped it. Run the knife through it several times. You could also use a food processor.
Yes, you absolutely can make any cake recipe in a loaf pan(s). Making two loaves makes it nice to eat one and to give one!
Normally, oil is used in carrot cake to keep it super moist. Butter is ok, but oil is better!
Yes, they CAN be included in carrot cake, but aren’t required. It depends on what you prefer.
xoxo ~Sue
Easy Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe
Ingredients
For the carrot cake loafs:
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour – or 210 grams
- 1 cup brown sugar – or 200 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots – or finely chopped
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 4 oz. cream cheese – softened to room temp
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter – softened to room temp
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar – or 186 grams
Instructions
For the carrot cake loaves:
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients – the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Combine well.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla.
- Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir with a spoon until just combined.
- Shred carrots. Use a shredder or a sharp knife to shred/cut the peeled carrots into very small pieces. I used a knife and cut them VERY small.
- Add carrots to batter. Combine the carrots into the carrot cake batter, and stir until mixed in.
- Pour batter into loaf pans. Spray two loaf pans and pour the batter evenly into both pans, smoothing it to all sides.
- Bake. Bake the carrot cake bread in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until just done in the center. Don’t over-bake! Let bread sit in pans for about 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack.
For the frosting:
- Make cream cheese frosting. In a small mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the softened cream cheese and butter together until very creamy. Then add the vanilla, cinnamon, and powdered sugar and mix again until very well mixed, approximately one minute or so.
- Frost carrot cake loaves. Use a spoon to frost the cooled carrot cake loaves. I topped them with some shredded carrots, but that’s for presentation purposes only!
