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Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

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This Carrot Cake Loaf recipe offers a moist, flavorful carrot cake with warm spices and a luscious cream cheese frosting. Perfect for cozy afternoons or special occasions, the cake is baked in loaf pans for easy slicing and serving. The recipe includes a step-by-step guide to shredding fresh carrots, combining ingredients into a thick batter, and finishing with a beautifully decorated cream cheese frosting featuring optional carrot-themed accents made with colored frosting.

Ingredients

For the Loaves

  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • 1 lb whole carrots, peeled
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable oil

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Green and orange food coloring (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare pans and preheat oven: Grease and flour two 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans, then preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and table salt. Whisk thoroughly to evenly distribute spices and leavening agents.
  3. Shred carrots: Using a food processor fitted with a grater/shredder attachment, shred the peeled carrots until finely grated. Transfer the shredded carrots to a medium bowl and set aside. Freshly shredded carrots result in a better texture than pre-grated store-bought varieties.
  4. Combine sugars and eggs: Clean the food processor, switch to the standard metal blade attachment, and add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Process until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
  5. Emulsify with oil: While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil. Continue processing for about 30 seconds until the mixture is thick and well emulsified.
  6. Mix wet and dry ingredients: Pour the wet sugar/egg/oil mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients. Using a spatula, scrape all the wet batter out of the processor. Whisk or fold the wet and dry components together until just combined into a thick batter.
  7. Fold in carrots: Gently fold the shredded carrots into the thick batter using the spatula, ensuring even distribution without overmixing.
  8. Fill loaf pans and bake: Evenly divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans. Place in the oven and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  9. Make cream cheese frosting: Using a hand mixer, beat softened cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar a half cup at a time, beating until smooth. Mix in pure vanilla extract thoroughly.
  10. Frost cooled cakes: Allow the carrot cake loaves to cool completely before spreading the cream cheese frosting evenly on top.
  11. Optional decoration: Divide two separate ¼ cup portions of frosting into small bowls. Tint one with orange food coloring and the other with green. Place each colored frosting into small ziplock bags with a tiny corner cut off. Pipe carrot shapes by squeezing orange frosting blobs and pulling downward, then add one or two small green dots on top to simulate carrot leaves.

Notes

  • Freshly shredded carrots ensure a moist and soft texture compared to pre-packaged grated carrots.
  • Check doneness with a toothpick; the cake should be just set with moist crumbs for best texture.
  • Store leftover carrot cake tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • You can freeze the baked loaf (without frosting) wrapped tightly for up to 3 months.
  • Adjust spice levels by increasing or decreasing cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.
  • For a dairy-free option, substitute cream cheese and butter with vegan alternatives.

Find it online: https://lauracooks.com/carrot-cake-loaf-with-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe/