Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe (2024)

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You’ll love this carrot cake loaf recipe that is soft and moist! It is so easy to make with simple ingredients. No mixer needed!

Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe (1)

Today I share my favorite carrot cake loaf. It is perfect for teatime, breakfast or any time you want to eat a nicely spiced yummy treat.

This loaf is as deliciously soft and moist as my simple banana bread recipe and pumpkin chocolate chip bread. You don’t need a mixer to make this easy and delicious carrot cake that is baked in a loaf pan. I think we can name it as carrot cake bread as well.

Let’s start with the ingredients;

The Ingredients for Carrot Loaf

  • Carrots–gives moisture besides being the star of this loaf
  • All-purpose flour– gives structure
  • Baking powder– works as a leavener
  • Cinnamon and nutmeg-go perfect with carrots but if you don’t have nutmeg you can still make a delicious carrot cake with only cinnamon.
  • Vanilla– I use vanilla extract. It enriches the flavor. If you have it I suggest you use it, if you don’t have, don’t worry, this loaf cake will be still yummy.
  • Granulated Sugar-I use 155 grams(¾ cup) for 1 loaf. It is sweet and moist enough with that amount.
  • Eggs-give structure
  • Olive oil-gives moisture
  • Walnuts-perfect in a carrot cake but you can replace them with pecans
Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe (2)

How to Make Easy Carrot Loaf

First mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder (and salt if using) in a medium bowl and set aside.

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Then roughly chop the walnuts into small pieces with a sharp knife, set aside.

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Next, peel and grate the carrots. You’ll need two large or 4 medium carrots. It is 230 grams (2 cups). Set aside.

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Then place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and mix with a whisk until just combined for almost 30-45 seconds until combined.

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Next, add the olive oil and vanilla extract. Stir with a whisk until just combined.

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Add the flour mixture in batches. You can use a whisk in the beginning but continue with a spoon/spatula as it will make the mixing easier.

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Then add the carrots and stir with a spoon/spatula. Mix in the walnuts.

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The mixture will be sticky and a little thick. You can take help from a spoon to pour the batter into the loaf pan.

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Let the carrot bread bake for 50-55 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean once inserted into the middle and the top is golden brown.

If you remove early, you can’t cut proper slices. If you over bake, the loaf will become dry. So you should watch your oven.

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Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe (12)

How to Store

You can keep in an airtight container up to 3 days at room temperature and up to 7 days in the fridge. You can freeze up to 3 months.

You should also check my banana carrot muffins which are a healthier version of this cake.

Other cake loaf recipes you may enjoy!

  • Apple Cake loaf
  • Marble Loaf Cake
  • Orange Cake Loaf
  • Peach Bread

If you are looking for yeast bread, you should try these recipes!

  • No knead bread without dutch oven
  • No knead whole wheat bread
  • Soft dinner rolls
  • No knead cinnamon rolls

I love hearing from you! If you try my Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe or other recipes please leave a comment and give a star rating!

Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe (13)

Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe

This carrot cake loaf is so easy to make with few ingredients. You’ll love this carrot cake that is soft and moist!

5 from 181 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 10 slices

Calories: 292kcal

Author: Meymi

Ingredients

  • 190 g (1 cup and 5 tablespoons) all-purpose flour dip and sweep
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • teaspoon ground nutmeg*
  • teaspoon salt, optional
  • 2 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 155 g(¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 110 g (½ cup) olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
  • 230 g (2 cups) grated carrots
  • 60 g (½ cup) walnuts, roughly cut into small pieces

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F(177°C). Grease 8 ½ * 4 ½ inch (21,5*10,5cm) loaf pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, about 2 inches(5 cm) of overhang on each side. If you like, you can grease and flour the dish instead of parchment paper.

  • Place the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder (and salt if using) into a medium bowl and mix. Set aside.

  • Roughly chop the walnuts into small pieces with a sharp knife, set aside.

  • Peel and grate the carrots, set aside.

  • Put the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and mix with a whisk until just combined for almost 45 seconds.

  • Mix in the olive oil and vanilla extract, stir with a whisk until just combined.

  • Add the flour mixture in 2 batches and stir until just combined. You can use a whisk in the first batch but it will be easier to use a spoon/spatula in the end to mix easily.

  • Add the carrots and stir with a spoon/spatula. Mix in the walnuts.

  • Pour the batter into the loaf pan with the help of a spoon.

  • Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean that is inserted in the center and the top is golden brown. After you remove the pan from the oven, leave in the pan until it cools completely, at least for 1 hour.

Notes

*If you don’t have nutmeg or vanilla extract you can leave them out. But if you have I suggest you use them.

As the baking time changes from oven to oven, you should watch the oven carefully. If you remove the pan early or don’t let the loaf completely cool after it bakes, you can’t cut proper slices. If you overbake, the loaf will become dry.

My carrot loaf starts to fill the kitchen with its beautiful smell after 35-38 minutes. Then I continue to bake for almost 12 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean. I bake for 2 more minutes until golden brown.

This recipe makes 12 muffins. You can bake for almost 22 to 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the toothpick that is inserted into the center comes out clean.

How to Store: You can keep in an airtight container up to 3 days at room temperature and up to 7 days in the fridge. You can freeze up to 3 months.

The calorie information above is an estimate that is provided by an online nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 10g | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 3896IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @PastryandBeyond or tag #PastryandBeyond!

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Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between loaf and cake? ›

The primary difference between bread and cake is that yeast is used as the leavening agent, but other ingredients including sugar, eggs, milk, and fat also lead to differences in texture between the two.

Why is my carrot cake dense and heavy? ›

Also, make sure that all of the ingredients are at room temperature as if the eggs and carrots are fridge cold then the ingredients in the batter will not mix together as well and the cake will be heavier.

Can you bake a cake in a loaf pan? ›

You can bake cake mix in loaf pans. Grease and flour the bottom only and bake at 325 to 350 for 35 to 55 minutes depending on the pan size. One 9x5 loaf pan will be very full and will bake for 50 minutes +. You can use two 8x4-inch pans and start checking for doneness at around 35 minutes.

Why does carrot cake call for oil instead of butter? ›

Oil adds moisture (canola or vegetable oil will work) and unsalted butter adds a rich flavor. Don't substitute one for the other–we really need both here! Eggs. Room temperature eggs work best, so set yours out ahead of time.

What do bakers call the end of a loaf? ›

The proper term is “heel,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary. Some may call it just “the end piece” or “the butt” when going with true informality. Some Redditors even refer to them as the “crusts,” a double whammy for both the outside of each slice and the end of the loaf itself.

Why does a loaf cake fall in the middle? ›

Cakes sink in the middle due to several reasons. One reason is that the cake batter might be too moist, causing it to collapse during baking. Another reason could be that the oven temperature is too low, leading to uneven baking. Opening the oven door too frequently while baking can also cause cakes to sink.

Why not use butter in carrot cake? ›

The two simple ingredients that makes this cake amazing are the oil and Greek yogurt. I love using oil in cakes because not only does it make your cake moist, but it also STAYS moist for much longer than if you used butter. That's because oil is 100% fat where butter is around 80%.

Can I use store bought shredded carrots for carrot cake? ›

Carrots: My #1 tip for carrot cakes is to grate whole carrots at home. Do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are hard and dry. Oil: If using melted coconut oil, make sure all of the other cake batter ingredients (carrots included) are room temperature.

How fine should carrots be grated for carrot cake? ›

Think thin

It's true that carrots are the star of the show, but aim for finely grated pieces rather than chunky. The finer you grate the carrots, the more evenly they will be distributed throughout the cake (for the perfect texture), and the more evenly the cake and the carrots will bake.

Is glass or metal better for baking? ›

Glass bakeware is heavier and slower to heat than metal, but once it's hot, it retains that heat for much longer. So when using a glass pan to bake something like a cake or a batch of brownies, you may find that the sides and bottom will brown at a much faster rate than the interior cooks.

Can I use parchment paper instead of greasing a loaf pan? ›

Cooking sprays or a good slathering of “cake goop” can do the trick, but one of the most reliable ways to ensure that your loaf comes out of the pan easily is to line the pan with parchment, which you can grasp and use to pull the loaf out of the pan.

How much cake batter do you put in a loaf pan? ›

Loaf Pans
  1. 8×4 inch loaf pan holds 4 cups of batter, the same as a 6×2 inch round pan.
  2. 9×5 inch loaf pan holds 8 cups of batter, the same as a 9×2 inch round pan and an 8×2 inch square pan.
Sep 20, 2022

Is it better to make carrot cake with butter or oil? ›

Butter is only 70-80% fat and the rest is water and butter solids. Using oil in cakes reduces the amount of water in the mixture and can mean a moister cake with a tender crumb.

Why is my carrot cake not moist? ›

A dry cake is usually the result of one of the following pitfalls: using the wrong ingredients, making mistakes while measuring or mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature. Once you understand which common cake-baking blunders to avoid, you'll know how to bake a moist cake every time.

What is considered a loaf? ›

A loaf of bread is bread which has been shaped and baked in one piece. It is usually large enough for more than one person and can be cut into slices.

What does being called a loaf mean? ›

idle, loaf, lounge, loll, laze mean to spend time doing nothing. idle may be used in reference to persons that move lazily or without purpose.

What is a loaf of cake? ›

Meaning of loaf cake in English

a cake baked in a rectangular pan: I'm making a lemon loaf cake. We like a slice of loaf cake with our morning coffee. Fewer examples. This chocolate loaf cake is amazing.

Why is it called a loaf? ›

Loaf derives from Old English hlāf, "bread, loaf of bread," related to Gothic hlaifs, Old Norse hleifr, and Modern German Laib, all of which mean "loaf of bread." Hlāf survives in Lammas, originally Hlāfmaesse, "Loaf-Mass," the Christian Feast of the First Fruits, traditionally celebrated on August 1.

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