Carrot Cake Loaf
Nothing says fall holiday baking quite like a deliciously moist carrot cake loaf loaded down with the spices of the season and topped with a generous portion of cream cheese icing.
I’m so excited to share this carrot cake loaf recipe with you today. This recipe came from my friend, Amanda, who is a kitchen genius. Everything Amanda makes is good, so I know you’ll love this decadent carrot cake loaf as much as we do.
I personally love that this loaf has the same delicious flavors and texture as a traditional carrot cake, just in a smaller, more portable version. It’s perfect for traveling, as who wants to travel with a traditional three-layer cake? (Not me!). It’s also a great idea for gift-giving. Take it as a hostess gift for the holidays or a special gift for friends, family, or coworkers.
As mentioned, this carrot cake loaf recipe is loaded with the exact same ingredients as a carrot cake and the same fall spices you’d also find in pumpkin bread, like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Studded with raisins and pecans, the only difference is you bake it in a loaf pan rather than a cake pan. Then you get to top it with scrumptious cream cheese icing.
This carrot cake loaf is easy to make with simple ingredients, so let’s get baking!
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Grated carrot
- Raisins
- Chopped pecans
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Salt
Cream Cheese Icing
- Cream cheese (here’s our homemade cream cheese recipe)
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream or milk
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Carrot Cake Loaf
In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until combined.
In another large bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar until combined. Then, add in the oil and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until fully incorporated.
You can use an electric mixer or a spoon to mix your carrot cake batter.
With a spatula, fold in the carrots, raisins, and pecans.
Pour this into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the carrot cake loaf from the oven when done and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan to cool completely.
Now we need to make our carrot cake loaf frosting!
Mix all of the frosting ingredients together, using additional milk if you’d like your icing a bit thinner.
Frost the cooled loaf and top with a few extra pecans if you like.
Enjoy this wonderful treat!
Storage
- Cover and store leftover carrot bread in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- This bread also freezes well and extra pecans on top help keep the icing pretty once you wrap it to freeze. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge before serving.
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute granulated sugar for light or dark brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- I definitely recommend shredding the carrot at home and not using pre-shredded carrot, as it can be hard and dry.
- Instead of raisins, add in chocolate chips, sweetened shredded coconut, or dried cranberries. You can also substitute the pecans for walnuts.
- For cinnamon cream cheese icing, add 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the frosting ingredients. Another option is to add a tablespoon of maple syrup to make maple cream cheese icing.
- Because it can last in the fridge for up to a week, this carrot cake loaf is a great recipe to make ahead of time.
- This unfrosted carrot loaf recipe is naturally dairy-free.
You may also like these other carrot cake recipes:
Skillet Carrot Cake from Southern Cast Iron
Carrot Cake Recipe from Southern Cakes!
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 carrots, grated about 1 cup
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/4 cup butter, unsalted if you have it but salted is fine
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until combined.1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In another large bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar until combined. Then, add in the oil and vanilla.3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until fully incorporated. With a spatula, fold in the carrots, raisins, and pecans.3 carrots, grated, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 cup raisins
- Pour this into a greased 9×5 loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven when done and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.
- Mix all of the frosting ingredients together, using additional milk if you’d like your icing a bit thinner. Frost the cooled loaf and top with a few extra pecans if you like. Enjoy!4 oz cream cheese, 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon heavy cream or milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 cup butter, unsalted if you have it but salted is fine
Nutrition
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Christy, I have a question about the grated carrots. How many cups would the 3 carrots equal because I have seen some big carrots and some small ones too. Just maybe an estimate of volume once they are grated. This recipe sounds devine!
I need to know this, too! Thanks!
I used to get vanilla from King Arthur flour until the price went up higher than a cats back. I ordered some vanilla beans from Amazon, and I’m making some homemade vanilla.k
Hey! It’s about a cup
Adams Best. The only vanilla used by my Grandma, Mom and myself!
Can’t wait to make this, it looks yummy.
Rodelle vanilla is the only one that I use for all my baking, it’s amazing.
You asked about vanilla, I love Spice Islands Vanilla.
If you can’t buy it your local markets, this is a great website for purchasing their products. I can buy Spice Islands where I’m at, but not all things like their gold in a bottle, Louisiana Cajun Seasoning (no home should be without it). So, this website is great. And every time I order from them, just for fun, they toss in a random jar of Spice Islands seasoning of some sort based on purchase history. I love this company.
Thanks for the recipe. I like Watkins brand vanilla. “Magnolia Mouth” pops in my mind for you when ever I read your great stories. I love it!!
This carrot cake looks delicious! A great size for sharing when everyone you work with is dieting! I never buy vanilla anymore. Four ounces of good quality vanilla can cost $20 or more. I buy a package of madascar or tahitian whole vanilla beans, cut into small pieces, and split into two 8 ounce bottles/jars. Top with cheap vodka (can also use light rum). Leave the bottles in a dark place, shake a few times a week. In about three months you’ll have 16 ounces of the best vanilla. I have a mason jar I started 5 years ago. I add a few beans now and then. I started 2 more bottles in July so they’d be ready for holiday baking.
The best part is sharing with my friends who bake. They ask for this every year!
How neat to make your own vanilla!
I go to my local Mexican grocery store and buy vanilla. A 16 oz bottle is about $4.00. I’ve been making wedding cakes for about 35 years, and like you, vanilla went out of sight. I came across this vanilla and will never go back to expensive vanilla. This vanilla is more pure than others. Try it.
Hello,
I also make my own vanilla extract, but I use bourbon with Madagascar grade B vanilla beans. So much better than paying the retail price of vanilla extract when all you need to do is refill the bottle with the liquor of choice.
Christy thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe with all of us who follow you. you asked if any had a vanilla well I do it great the brand is spice island pure vanilla.#1-800-247-5251 to ask where you can find. Edna
This sure does look yummy!
Thank you so much, Charlotte! I hope you have a wonderful afternoon!
Do you refrigerate your cakes that have a cream cheese frosting? I have been seeing a lot on FB recently about food safety with cream cheese. If you refrigerate, how do you keep the cakes from drying out?
Looks yummy. I make my own vanilla with vanilla beans and vodka and 2 mason jars! It’s delicious! Been doing it this way for years!