Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting — My favorite recipe for carrot cake!! It’s ridiculously moist, soft, tender, and full of cinnamon-and-spice-and-everything-nice, including an abundance of carrots and sweet, juicy raisins!
The Easiest Carrot Cake (From Scratch!)
When it’s done right, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is one of my favorite indulgences. And this is my new favorite recipe for carrot cake.
I’m really picky about carrot cake. Just like when I dissected Lemon Bars and pointed out many things that could go awry from dog biscuit-like crust to lackluster lemon oomph, carrot cake is also ripe for caketastrophes, with the number one issue being dryness.
I would rather eat a dry rice cake than ingest all those calories on cake that tastes like a dry rice cake. Problem solved because this is the moistest carrot cake I’ve ever had!
Another issue that plagues carrot cakes is blandness. When it comes to cinnamon-and-spice-and-everything-nice, I use a heavier hand than most recipes call for.
Carrots, eggs, sugar, buttermilk, flour; they’re all ingredients that can stand up to bolder spices.
In no way is this carrot cake overly-spiced; it’s not a spice cake, but it’s flavorful. It’s not to be confused with those grocery store carrot cakes that are generally so bland they’re just one step above jarred baby food carrots.
This recipe is a keeper. The carrot loaf cake is tender, springy, dense but not heavy, falling-apart soft and moist without being greasy.
It’s full of texture from the carrots and raisins. And it’s warmly spiced with cinnamon and the spices classic carrot cake is known for. The cream cheese frosting is the literal icing on the cake; tangy, creamy, luscious.
I have not been able to keep away from this cake. It’s a good thing the recipe makes two loaves.
Carrot Cake Loaf Ingredients
To make carrot cake in a loaf pan, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Oil
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Brown & granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Spices (cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg)
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda & baking powder
- Grated carrots
- Raisins
- Nuts (optional)
- Cream cheese
- Confectioners’ sugar
How to Make a Carrot Cake Loaf
This simple carrot loaf cake recipe has a quick, whisk-tougher batter. There is nothing fussy about it and it goes from cupboard to oven in less than 5 minutes with very few dirty dishes!
Here’s an overview of how to make a spiced carrot loaf cake:
- Make the carrot cake loaf: Simply melt the butter, add the oil, buttermilk, eggs, sugars, vanilla, all the spices, and whisk. That’s the first 11 ingredients.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, optional salt, fold in the carrots, raisins, and optional nuts.
- Pour the batter into your pan, making sure not to fill any pan more than halfway full because the batter rises considerably.
- Bake at 350F until top is set in the middle, and it will likely have domed up a little. A toothpick will come out clean, and even when the cake is done, the pan will feel heavy for it’s size. This is one moist cake, I’m telling you!
- Make the frosting: Beat together butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, a splash of vanilla, and whip until it’s soft and fluffy.
Frosting Tip
For the photos, I wanted you to see the moistness and texture on the surface of the slices and didn’t cover them frosting. But in reality, I eat a thick, ridiculous layer of frosting, smeared all over.
I lay the slice flat and butter it. With frosting. That little skimpy one-inch stripe on top is just for photos!
A Note on Baking Times
Baking times will vary greatly by pan sizes used.
- For standard-sized loaf pans, 40 to 50 minutes, is recommended. I baked the 8-by-4-inch loaf for 42 minutes and the 9-by-5-inch for 50 minutes.
- For mini loaves or muffins, I’d start checking them by 20 minutes, and go from there.
- For one big Bundt cake, it’ll likely take 55 to 65 minutes.
Because of oven variances, various pans used, moisture content in the carrots, and personal preference, baking times will vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
This batter makes enough for two loaves. I used one 9-by-5-inch pan and one 8-by-4-inch pan. The photos are of the 9-by-5-inch. I like symmetry and wanted to do two 8-by-4-inch loaves, but there was just a bit too much batter. I could have them made 4 to 6 muffins, but kept it easy in two loaf pans.
Choose any combination of loaf pans, muffin pans, tube or Bundt cake pans.
It would make a great 10- to 12-cup Bundt, two mini Bundts, or about 4 mini loaves.
Whatever odd assortment of pans you have, go with it, adjusting baking times accordingly.
Nope! I know some people don’t like raisins, but I’m a raisin lover. Here they’re used plentifully, adding flavor, texture, and help keep an already soft and moist cake even more so. As for nuts, they’re a total deal-breaker for me in baked goods and this carrot cake is nut-free. With both raisins and nuts, you can add or omit based on your ideal definition of carrot cake.
No! The buttermilk tenderizes the batter and helps an otherwise dense batter rise nicely while baking. If you don’t keep buttermilk on hand, you can make a substitute using regular milk and either lemon juice or vinegar (Google it! There are lots of tutorials online about how to make DIY buttermilk).
I recommend doing so, yes. I used both granulated and brown sugar since a bit of brown sugar adds flavor and moisture. However, you may use just granulated sugar if that’s all you have.
Tips for Making Carrot Cake in a Loaf Pan
Spices: The spices include a mix of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. If you don’t happen to keep them all on hand, I suggest using more cinnamon. Cinnamon cures everything.
For a twist, if you love pumpkin like I do, pumpkin pie spice would be lovely, too. As written, the cake is nicely spiced and before you double the cinnamon or other spices like I usually do with most recipes, taste the batter and go from there.
Mix-ins: If you’re using both raisins and nuts, reduce each to about 3/4-cup rather than one full cup each so you don’t overwhelm the batter with add-ins, tasty as it sounds.
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Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt, optional (buttermilk is already a salted milk and I omitted adding salt)
- 2 ¼ cups coarsely grated carrots, packed loosely
- 1 cup raisins, optional but recommended
- 1 cup diced nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, optional
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used Trader Joe's Whipped Light)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, half of one stick
- 1 ½ cups+ confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F; spray loaf pans with floured cooking spray; set aside. I used one 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and one 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. Choose any combination of loaf pan sizes, tube or Bundt cake pans, or muffin pans.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Add the oil, eggs, buttermilk, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and whisk vigorously until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, optional salt, and stir to incorporate; don't overmix.
- Stir in the carrots.
- Stir in the raisins and optional nuts.
- Pour batter into prepared pans, making sure not to fill any pan more than halfway full because this batter rises considerably.
- Bake the two loaves (9x5 and 8x4) for 40 to 50 minutes, or until top is set in the center, golden, and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool in pans for about 10 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. While cakes cool, make the frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, butter, and beat to soften and combine, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy. Add additional sugar as desired for thicker frosting.
- Spread frosting over the tops of the cooled loaves. Slice into 3/4-inch wide slices and serve. I yield 9 to 10 slices from a 9x5 loaf.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Carrot Cake Recipes:
ALL OF MY CARROT CAKE-INSPIRED RECIPES!
Layered Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — A tender and moist classic two-layer carrot cake with tangy-sweet cream cheese frosting!
Carrot Cake Bars — Dense, chewy, super moist bars that taste like carrot cake with a cream cheese topping that’s baked right in so you don’t need to worry about frosting them!!
Salted Caramel Carrot Cake — Soft, tender, EASY carrot cake infused with salted caramel sauce and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting is the ULTIMATE in decadence!!
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting — These soft, moist, tender cupcakes are the BEST carrot cake cupcakes I’ve ever had!! They’re fast and easy to make, and come together in minutes!
Soft and Chewy Spiced Carrot Cake Cookies — All the flavors of richly spiced carrot cake, but in cookie form! Soft, chewy, extremely moist, and not at all cakey!
Carrot Banana Bread — EASY, no-mixer, super soft banana carrot bread that reminds me of carrot cake but healthier!! Great Easter brunch idea or spring baked good!
Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — A marriage of pumpkin cake and carrot cake into one soft, moist, tender, and amazing cake!! The tangy cream cheese frosting is truly the icing on this easy cake!!
Soft Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Glaze — Super soft carrot cake bars that taste like blondies packed with chewy carrots! So good and a must-make!
Thank you bunches for this recipe! I just made this cake last night, and it is absolutely fabulous! The best carrot cake I’ve made at home in ages! Saving this page so I can make it over and over again.
So glad that you loved the cake and that it’s the best you’ve made at home! Love hearing things like that and thanks for LMK!
I made the recipe into cupcakes for Easter! Delicious! Everyone LOVED them. Thank you so much!!!!! I have been searching for a great carrot cake recipe!
I am so happy to hear they worked out as cupcakes and were a big hit! Thanks for coming back to LMK!
I made this Saturday for Easter on Sunday. It was great! Very good flavor and so moist. I made it into a bundt cake and it cooked in 50 minutes. The frosting is divine. So light and airy. We added raw walnuts to the top of those that wanted nuts. I kept the frosting in the fridge and frosted individual pieces. And I left out the raisins b/c my mom doesn’t like them. ???? I know but she doesn’t.
My daughter asked to take some to school today in her lunch. That’s impressive.
Thanks for LMK that you made it and that it even passed the lunchbox test with your daughter :) Good to know you made it as a Budnt and it took 50 mins to bake for you. I love making it as a Bundt as well!
One of my good friends brought me an amazing curry for lunch the other day…Just because. To return the favor, I am baking these right now. Carrot cake is her absolute favorite. They are still in the oven, but I can’t stop dipping into the batter mix!! I am making a cinnamon maple cream cheese frosting. I cannot wait to dig in to the finished product!!
The carrot cake is my fave ever carrot cake! I bet with your cinn-maple-cream cheese icing it’s going to be to-die for crazy good! WOW! Please report back and LMK how things pan out (literally) & if your friend approves!
I forgot carrot cake isn’t the best “cupcake” type cake. They fell in the middle, but I just filled it with frosting and it was still so super delicious! She loved them!! Thanks, I’m excited to make this again, this time as a loaf.
Ok I forgot about that too – that it’s a dense batter and not a light and airy batter like cupcake batter, but good recovery on just filling them with frosting and nobody was probably any the wiser anyway!
I’m definitely a carrot cake lover, and I like it spicy too. This one’s for me! Your photographs are just beautiful. The warm, rich color of the table just makes that carrot cake pop!
I baked this for my dad’s birthday yesterday, it was delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for coming back to tell me you made it and glad it was a success! My daughter’s bday was yesterday too (she got a pink cake though)!! Happy Bday to your dad!
Thank you! Happy Birthday to your daughter too :)
A good carrot cake is hard to come by, they can often be bland or dry but this one looks perfect in every way!
This looks absolutely perfect Averie!
I agree, a carrot cake without the punch of spice is not a carrot cake. I really need a 9×5 loaf pan- for some reason all I have are two 8×4’s…I think the large one wandered off with the also-missing 8×2-inch cake pan. (I’d love to know what goes on in those cluttered farmer’s cabinets at night!)
I love the chunky texture of this cake, and that gorgeously thick cream cheese frosting! Is it wrong to “sometimes” fantasize about eating a bowl of cream cheese frosting with a bag of salty pretzels?
I love your fantasies. I don’t even need the pretzels. Just a spoon :)
And my pans are all such a varied hodgepodge. I recently just bought pans from…the grocery store of all places! That all match. 2 of each in 8×4 and 9×5. And each was like $5.99. So for under $25, I match now :)
Years ago I used to work in the grocery store bakery/deli and I would always sneak a cup of the cream cheese frosting that they had in a HUGE tub and go to the back where no one could see me and just eat it with a spoon like it was candy! Crazy I know! But it was so good every now and then! Lol….
I eat frosting with a spoon now! I fully admit it. It’s awesome :) Most of the time the cake is just…meh. But the frosting is where it’s at. However with this cake, it really can hold it’s own!
I love this! I didn’t really love carrot cake as a kid, now it’s one of my favorites. And I agree that it needs raisins, or dried cherries, some form of dried fruit!
I absolutely love carrot cake and I am so happy you like raisins in yours. I know some people hate them in baked goods, but I just love them too!!! And what a great idea to bake the cake in loaf pans!
Just behind “Strawberries with Whipped Cream and Meringues” in my personal response to the question “What would you eat in Heaven?”…CARROT CAKE with the, yes OBLIGATORY cream cheese frosting!..Yours is so exquisitely presented…photographed…researched and explained with deft…that I actually bookmarked this offering before getting to the end of your text…true story.
As for the choosing loaf pans over the layered or Bundt ones…I tend to use them not for aesthetics ( I love the grandiose quality of carrot cakes baked in those)..but because I have noticed, at least in my family, that they are MUCH more likely to “embrace the cake” as they see it as a “healthy” choice (think banana bread, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread) or as “potential breakfast fare” over the glamorous cake form.
Thanks for the detail…particularly about frosting individual slices last minute to avoid refrigerator frosting “dry-out”…