Great for a smaller Easter celebration, this Carrot Cake Loaf is easy to make and full of warm spices. Top with a cream cheese frosting and decorate with frosting carrots for the perfectly festive dessert!
I’m not going to lie: I’m extremely picky about carrot cake. It’s one of my favorite cakes, so I will only eat the best 😉
The best carrot loaf cake
- I decided to share my carrot cake loaf recipe in case you need a dessert that suits a small family celebration better vs a huge carrot layer cake.
- This recipe is also great to add to a festive Easter brunch – it’s like a very decadent carrot bread!
- The cake is very easy to bake with just a few steps and some simple ingredients. We also love decorating this with cream cheese frosting and frosting carrots for an adorable look – but that’s totally optional!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Oil: I use canola oil in this recipe because it’s easy, but for full-on decadence, you can go for melted butter instead.
- Spices: If you don’t have the individual spices available, you can use pumpkin spice mix instead if you have it. If you skip the nutmeg and/or the ginger, you will still make a great carrot cake, but it will have less depth of flavor.
- Pecans: Feel free to use chopped walnuts in place of the pecans, if you prefer.
How to make a Carrot Cake Loaf
This is a walk-through of the recipe with step photos. Skip to the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact times and temperatures.
1 Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Easy!
2 Beat the eggs until REALLY big, light and fluffy. It will take a few minutes with an electric mixer.
3 Then, add sugar, oil and vanilla and beat in well.
4 Fold the shredded carrots and chopped pecans into the egg mixture,
5 then fold in the dry ingredients.
6Spread in a lined loaf pan and bake!
To be perfectly honest, the cream cheese frosting? I can take it or leave it. A good carrot cake doesn’t need frosting, if you ask me. But it does make it extra special, the candy carrots ARE an actual must for me… And, fact is, they don’t stick to a bare cake, so… I’m kind of stuck with the frosting 😉
Make sure to allow the cake to fully cool before slathering in frosting.
Recipe tips
- Make sure to fully beat the eggs until light in color and very frothy. This is how you get a good rise for your cake.
- I prefer coarsely shredded carrots in this recipe, because finely shredded carrots almost vanish in the cake.
- When folding the dry into the wet ingredients, use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula; not a mixer or whisk. Only fold until combined, do not overmix.
- Allow the cake to fully cool if you want to frost it, otherwise the cream cheese frosting will start to get runny and slide off the warm cake.
- Keep the frosted cake covered in the fridge at all times. If constantly covered and refrigerated, the cake lasts well for 1-2 days.
Watch the recipe video
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Carrot Cake Loaf
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the carrot cake
Dry ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Other
- 2 cups grated carrot packed
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
For the frosting
- 3 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon butter softened
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar or more to taste
- frosting carrots, chopped pecans to garnish
Instructions
- Prep: Line a 4×8 inch (10x20cm) loaf pan with baking parchment. Heat oven to 320°F (160°C).
- Dry ingredients: Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Wet ingredients: Add eggs to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add oil, sugar and vanilla extract and continue beating for another 2 minutes.
- Combine batter: Fold grated carrots and chopped walnuts into egg mixture, using a rubber spatula. Then, fold in dry ingredients JUST until combined.
- Bake: Spread batter in prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Frosting: Beat all ingredients for frosting with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Spread on the completely cooled cake, then decorate as you like.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Oil: I use canola oil in this recipe because it’s easy, but for full-on decadence, you can go for melted butter instead.
- Spices: If you don’t have the individual spices available, you can use pumpkin spice mix instead if you have it. If you skip the nutmeg and/or the ginger, you will still make a great carrot cake, but it will have less depth of flavor.
- Pecans: Feel free to use chopped walnuts in place of the pecans, if you prefer.
Recipe tips
- Make sure to fully beat the eggs until light in color and very frothy. This is how you get a good rise for your cake.
- I prefer coarsely shredded carrots in this recipe, because finely shredded carrots almost vanish in the cake.
- When folding the dry into the wet ingredients, use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula; not a mixer or whisk. Only fold until combined, do not overmix.
- Allow the cake to fully cool if you want to frost it, otherwise the cream cheese frosting will start to get runny and slide off the warm cake.
- Keep the frosted cake covered in the fridge at all times. If constantly covered and refrigerated, the cake lasts well for 1-2 days.
More recipe information
Recipe first published on 03/30/2020. Updated on 03/26/2021.
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