This super moist carrot cake loaf is both easy and delicious, generously topped with a generous layer of tangy cream cheese frosting. This delicious loaf cake is perfect to enjoy any time of day or any time of year.
When it comes to my favourite cakes, carrot cake is right up there! And when it comes to my favourite carrot cake recipe, this is it.
I scaled back my favourite recipe to make a smaller carrot cake loaf. I have come to love the loaf-shaped carrot cake. Even though it’s a loaf, served thickly sliced, it’s still a plate-and-fork kind of cake.
The taller loaf also allows me to use a generous amount of cream cheese frosting, which is always a good thing in my books :)
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Vegetable oil – I always make this loaf with vegetable oil, and I do recommend it, as years of making this loaf have proven it works perfectly. Other oils, such as canola oil or sunflower may work, though I haven’t tested them myself. I don’t recommend olive oil as it will introduce a flavour to the loaf.
Carrots – Of course, it wouldn’t be a carrot cake without carrots :) While any carrot will do, I do like to pick up some fresh, organic carrots if I can, for best flavour.
White sugar – Sugar in baking recipes performs more of a role than just sweetening. It contributes both to the texture and moistness of the finished loaf. While it may be possible to reduce the sugar, it generally comes at some cost to the quality of the finished loaf. I always recommend using the specified amount of sugar first, and then, if desired, slightly reduce it in subsequent bakes, until you find the sweet spot for you.
Walnuts – Nuts are optional in this cake, but do offer some nice flavour and texture to the loaf. I generally use walnuts, but pecans would work nicely as well.
If you don’t want to use nuts, but the idea of raisins or coconut appeals to you, you could add 1 cup of either, in place of the nuts.
Cream cheese – You can use either full-fat or fat-reduced cream cheese here, though you may find you need less confectioners’ sugar with the reduced-fat cream cheese, so keep that in mind when mixing the icing. Needless to say, full-fat cream cheese will produce the nicest cream cheese frosting.
How to make carrot cake loaf: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Start by lining a 9×5-inch or 4 1/2×10-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. If you have clips, it helps to keep the parchment out of the way.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk them together well. Set aside.
Step 3: Add the sugar and oil to the bowl and cream together for 1 minute.
Step 4: Add the shredded carrot to the bowl and mix it in.
Step 5: Add the eggs to the batter and beat in.
Step 6: Add the nuts to the batter and mix together well.
Step 7: Add the flour mixture to the batter and stir in until there is no visible flour.
Step 8: The finished batter will be quite loose.
Step 9: Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake.
Step 10: The baked cake will be relatively flat (not domed) and may settle a small bit in the very centre as it cools.
Step 11: Once the cake is completely cooled, mix together the cream cheese frosting until smooth and fluffy.
Step 12: Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cake. (I find it easiest to return the cooled cake to the loaf pan to frost, and then I store the cake in the pan in the refrigerator after frosting.)
Recipe Video
Recipe tips!
- Lining the loaf pan with parchment paper is highly recommended. This is a tender loaf when warm and there really is nothing worse that having a loaf break when trying to get it out of the pan. Parchment paper removes that worry completely.
- Be sure to measure your flour by using the stir, spoon and level method. That is 1) Stir your flour. 2) Spoon into a dry (usually metal) measuring cup, over-filling the cup then 3) use the back flat edge of a knife to level off the flour, even with the top of the measuring cup.
- Do note that baking time is never exact, as ovens vary and different types and colours of baking pans can also affect baking time. Be sure to test the loaf with a long skewer. It should come out clean. It make take longer in your oven, so just bake it until it tests clean.
- Be sure your cake is absolutely and perfectly cooled before attempting to frost it. Even the slightest bit of warmth left in the cake will soften/melt the frosting.
- To get the “lines” in the frosting, after spreading the frosting on the cake, use the tip of an offset spatula to run lines down the length of the loaf.
Storing and freezing
Cakes with cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated within 2 hours of frosting and should continue to be stored in the refrigerator. This cake will keep well for 4-5 days in the fridge.
I like to store this loaf cake in the loaf pan I baked it in, as it is easy to cover the top with plastic wrap, without disturbing the frosting.
You can remove slices to a plate and let stand at room temperature up to 2 hours before serving, if you prefer carrot cake at room temperature.
Carrot cake loaf can be frozen, even when frosted, though the texture of the cream cheese frosting may change slightly from the freeze/thaw process.
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Get the Recipe: Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil, *see Note 1 below
- 1 1/2 cups (170 g ) shredded carrot, well packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (100 g) walnuts, or pecans, finely chopped (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (195 g) icing/confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Spray a 9×5-inch or 4 x 10-inch metal loaf pan with cooking spray and then line the bottom and two long sides with a sheet of parchment paper, allowing the parchment to extend the sides of the pan by a couple of inches, to use as handles to lift the loaf out after baking. (If you have metal file clips, you can clip the sides to keep the parchment in place. This is especially helpful when pouring the batter into the pan, as it keeps the sides of the parchment from getting in the way.)
- Preheat oven to 350F. (regular bake setting/not fan-assisted) (Reduce to 325F if you are using a glass loaf pan.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and Pinch salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric beater or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the 1 cup white granulated sugar and 1/2 cup vegetable oil for about 1 minute. Add the 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot and mix in. Add the 2 large eggs and beat them in. Add the 1 cup walnuts and stir to combine. Stir in the flour mixture and mix until well combined, with no visible flour. The batter will be quite loose.
- Pour the batter into prepared baking pan.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean. (Expect the baked loaf to have quite a flat top, which may deflate a tiny bit in the centre as it cools.)
- Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper "handles" and remove it to a cooling rack to cool. When the cake has cooled a bit, gently remove and discard the parchment paper and let the loaf continue to cool completely on the wire rack.
- To make frosting: Beat together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. Add the icing sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth. Spread onto the top of the carrot cake loaf and swirl or use the tip of an offset spatula to run lines down the length of the loaf (as shown in the photos).
- Once frosted, the loaf must be stored in the refrigerator, where it will keep well for up to 4 days. The frosted carrot cake loaf can also be frozen, though the cream cheese frosting may change slightly in texture from the freeze/thaw process.
Notes
Watch how to make it
More loaf cake recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Excellent carrot loaf! Really enjoyed it. I added orange zest and slathered the icing all over each slice! I like the option to choose the batch size with the amounts adjusted in one click.
So glad you enjoyed it, Brigitte :) Thanks so much!
This recipe is fantastic! The texture is amazing, especially with the walnuts. The frosting is great too. I doubled the cinnamon but the cake is still missing something for me. I love a good spicy cake. I think I’ll had ginger, cloves, and all spice next time to add more depth.
Glad you enjoyed it, Angela and yes, you can certainly play around with the spicing, to your taste. Thanks!
Delicious followed exactly except for the oil. Only had corn oil on hand! Super moist and lots of flavour! Yum yum.
So glad you enjoyed it, Ashlee :) Thanks so much!
I made this for a “girls day” and everyone loved it and wanted to take some home, it is very moist and a nice weight bread. A friend had given me a gallon bag of little carrots earlier in the week and I shredded them up and decided try this recipe. It was so good I made 2 double recipes and froze some. I added just a bit more cinnamon, next time I will add 1 1/2 tsp. I also added 1/2 cup of chopped craisins as I can not eat nuts and did not have raisins, we really like the craisins and I would use them again.
So glad to hear, Christy :) Thanks so much!
I love the moistness of this recipe. A lot of others that I have tried have been way to thick and it just stresses me out to say the least! Thanks for giving us a moist perfectly baked Carrot Cake loaf! I am very pleased with the results in comparison to many others!
So happy to hear, Brittany :) Thanks so much!
I’m gonna try this simple and easy to follow recipe. Being simple is always the bessst! Oh! My hungry tummy can’t wait. Thanks a lot Jennifer😊
Thanks so much and enjoy the cake :)
School is starting in 4 days so I started baking sweets for my little sister’s snack. I accidentally “measured” one slightly heeped 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder thinking the recipe called for 1 tsp but it still tastes really good! Since she’s still in elementary school, there’s a no nut policy so I opted for 1/2 cup raisins in place of walnuts. I baked the batter in an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan, allowed it to cool down, then topped it with the frosting, and then popped it into the freezer overnight. Today in the morning, I trimmed the edges and cut the cake into 12 smaller squares, wrapped them up in cling film and popped them back into the freezer. I ended up baking it for 35 minutes forgetting that it would take less than the recommended time (40 min – 50 min) since the pan isn’t as deep as a loaf pan. Nonetheless, the texture is still on point – it’s fluffy and moist. Now once school starts, my sister can easily grab a square before leaving the house and by the time it’s snack time it’ll be thawed.
Sounds perfect for back-to-school, Dia :) I love this cake, as it never dries out, which makes it perfect for freezing and thawing. Thanks so much!
This carrot cake recipe is outstanding . I love the fact of a smaller version and then baked
in a loaf pan. You’ve got to try it .
So glad you enjoyed it, Jayne :) Thanks so much!
This recipe is amazing! i definitely suggest trying it!
So glad you enjoyed it, Eden :) Thanks so much!
Great recipe! I doubled it and it turned out delicious. Everyone loved it (even those who said they did not like carrot cake.
So glad to hear, Mildred :) Thanks so much!
This is my first baking food I have done and it’s really easy. Instead of the loaf shape, I use the muffin trays! I make this for my mother and she really likes it. The only thing I didn’t like are grinding carrots because it hurts my hands. So I just tell my siblings to do it for me! (Hehe)
Would recommend first timers trying this recipe, Thanks!
So glad you all enjoyed it :) Thanks so much!
Should the baking time and temperature for an 8 inch round cake stay the same as mentioned?
Thank you
Hi SJ, No, the timing would be less for an 8-inch round – 25-35 minutes.
Thank you for responding!
No problem. Enjoy :)
Thank you for the recipe! Do you know how much does the grated carrots weigh as I don’t have measuring cups..tried to look online and the values seem to vary from 50-110g per cup
Hi Yi and no, sorry, I don’t right now (will weigh it the next time I make this one :). The easiest way to do it for now is to fill a liquid measure cup up to about 375ml, well packed.
I’ve made this several times. I’ve also doubled the recipe to make a cake. It’s simple and delicious. My entire family loved it and request I make it more often.
So glad to hear :) Thanks so much!
Do you sift the flour baking soda and baking powder?
Hi Sam, I don’t, but you can’t hurt it by doing so, if you want to.