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Home / Holiday Recipes / Easter / Carrot Cake Loaf

Carrot Cake Loaf

2 hours hrs
| Leave a Comment |
5 from 3 votes
Jump to Recipe 03/26/21 | Updated: 03/26/21 | by Nora
Carrot Cake Loaf Image Pin 1

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!

image of sliced carrot cake loaf on a white platter

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 printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for carrot cake loaf with text labels
Ingredients in Carrot Cake Loaf: Flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, salt, sugar, eggs, carrots, pecans, oil and vanilla extract. Plus additional ingredients for the frosting, if making (not pictured): Cream cheese and icing sugar; plus frosting carrots.

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.

six photo collage to show how to make a carrot cake loaf

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!

top down view of decorated carrot cake loaf

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.

three plates with slices of carrot cake loaf

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

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable recipe

Printable Recipe Card
image of sliced carrot cake loaf on a white platter
Save Recipe Saved!

Carrot Cake Loaf

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!
Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
5 from 3 votes
Print Add Review

Recipe details

Prep 20 minutes mins
Cook 1 hour hr
Total 2 hours hrs
Servings 8 slices
Difficulty Easy

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.
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    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.
    Nutrition is an estimate.

    More recipe information

    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Traditional

    Recipe first published on 03/30/2020. Updated on 03/26/2021.

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    Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings
    About Nora 
    When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.

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    Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings

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    Hi, I'm Nora! I wasn't always a good cook, but then I fell in love with a professional chef and learned my way around the kitchen. Now I share all my secrets to effortlessly great food here on my blog, bite-sized for home cooks just like me and you.

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