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Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting

A soft, moist carrot cake that's baked as a loaf. So much faster and easier than baking an entire cake! Packed with carrots, raisins, & nuts!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 18
Calories: 398 kcal
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American

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:
    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
  3. Add the oil, eggs, buttermilk, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and whisk vigorously until combined.
  4. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, optional salt, and stir to incorporate; don't overmix.
  5. Stir in the carrots.
  6. Stir in the raisins and optional nuts.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pans, making sure not to fill any pan more than halfway full because this batter rises considerably.
  8. 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.
  9. 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:
  1. 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.
  2. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy. Add additional sugar as desired for thicker frosting.
  3. 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

  • Add-ins: If using both raisins and nuts, use about 3/4 cup of each rather than 1 cup each, or the batter may become overwhelmed with add-ins.
  • Baking times: Baking times will vary greatly by pan sizes used. I baked the 8-by-4-inch loaf for 42 minutes and the 9-by-5-inch loaf for 50 minutes. Muffins or mini loaves could bake in as short as 20 minutes, a big Bundt cake may need 55 to 65 minutes.
  • Frosting: Some people prefer to refrigerate cream cheese frosting and if you're one of them, I suggest frosting the slices individually immediately prior to serving, rather than frost the whole loaf and then refrigerating it, which will dry it out.
  • Storage: Store unfrosted loaf wrapped in plastic wrap and placed inside a large ziptop plastic bag for up to 1 week at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months. Freezing second loaf after it's cooled is recommended if you're not going to eat it within a week.
  • Adapted from Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 398kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 51g (17%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 21g (32%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 12g Cholesterol 48mg (16%) Sodium 220mg (9%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 36g (72%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 18Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 398

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 398kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 51g 17%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 21g 32%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 12g 71%
Cholesterol 48mg 16%
Sodium 220mg 9%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 36g 72%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.