I was surprised at how tasty this easy carrot loaf cake turned out. Everyone in my family, even the kids, loved it. It’s a great way to sneak in some extra carrots for the little ones. I’m excited to share this simple recipe with you, it is also great when searching for easter food ideas.
Ingredients
- 3-4 Carrots, peeled
- 2 Eggs, large
- 3/4 cups vegetable oil
- 2 Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 Cups Sugar, granulated
- 2 Tsp baking powder
- 1 Tsp baking soda
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1 Tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ Tsp Salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz Cream cheese, softened (half pack)
- 2 TBSP Butter, unsalted
- 2 Cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tsp Vanilla extract
- Green and orange food coloring (optional)
Instructions:
Step 1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 200°C, and grease a loaf pan or arrange parchment paper on a loaf pan.
Step 2.
Chop the carrots into small pieces and use a food processor to puree the carrots, then set aside. If you don’t have a food processor you could grate the carrots into tiny pieces. I know some people just shred them but since I have kids I wanted to hide the carrots as much as possible.
Step 3.
In a large bowl, or the bowl from the stand mixer, if you have one, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Sifting does make a difference so do not skip this step.
Step 4.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Then Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, using a spatula to scrape as much of the liquid ingredients as you can from the food processor.
Step 5.
Add carrot puree into the batter using your spatula and combine with the rest of the ingredients, but don’t over-mix. Then, bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
This carrot loaf cake is one of the dessert recipes I am very proud of, especially because it uses fewer ingredients compared to other carrot cake loaf recipes.
I can easily enjoy this carrot loaf cake even without the frosting; it’s delicious on its own. I like having mildly sweet treats with a cup of coffee. However, the frosting decoration is too adorable to resist, so I always end up adding it.
Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions:
Step 1.
Using a stand or hand mixer, with medium speed, beat cream cheese, and butter until fluffy. Then, sift the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until smooth. Finally, mix in vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
Step 2.
If decorating with a small carrot design, separate two small portions of the frosting (about 3 TBSP each), to add orange coloring to one, and green to the other one. You can use piping bags or Ziploc bags with small holes to create the carrots.
Step 3.
Evenly coat the carrot loaf cake with the remaining white frosting, then allow it to cool in the fridge for approximately 5-10 minutes. This brief chilling period helps the frosting set slightly before you proceed with decorating the miniature carrots.
Before decorating
Before decorating with frosting, I like to practice on a small plate to know how I’m going to do this, how much pressure I need to add, etc.
Step 4.
Begin crafting the carrots by using the orange frosting. Squeeze the bag to form a small, chunky drop, gradually easing the pressure as you move downward to create a thinner end. Then, with the green frosting, apply a small drop for the carrot tops.
Step 5.
Let the frosting set a little before serving or cool for a bit, I personally enjoyed it slightly warm right after I decorated it.
Carrot Loaf Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Loaf pan
- Oven
- Food processor or blender
- Stand Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 3-4 Carrots
- 2 Eggs, large
- 2 Cups All-purpose flour (For healthier version half whole wheat, half all-purpose)
- 1 Cup Sugar, granulated
- 3/4 Cup Vegtable oil
- 2 Tsp Baking powder
- 1 Tsp Baking soda
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1 Tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz Cream cheese, softened (half pack)
- 2 TBSP Butter, unsalted
- 2 Cups Powder Sugar sifted
- 1 Tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 Drop Green food coloring optional
- 1 Drop Orange food coloring optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees, and grease a loaf pan or arrange parchment paper on a loaf pan.
- In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt
- Chop the carrots into small pieces and use a food processor to puree the carrots, and set aside
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, using a spatula to scrape as much of the liquid ingredients as you can from the food processor.
- Add carrot puree into the batter using your spatula and combine with the rest of the ingredients, but don't over-mix.
- Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions:
- Using a stand or hand mixer, with medium speed, beat cream cheese, and butter until fluffy.
- Sift powdered sugar, and mix until smooth.
- Mix in vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
- If decorating the petite carrots, set aside two portions of frosting, approximately 2-3 tablespoons each. Tint one portion with orange coloring and the other with green. Prepare piping bags or Ziploc bags with small openings to create the carrots.
- Smoothly apply the remaining frosting onto the cooled carrot cake loaf.
- Cool the loaf with the white frosting for at least 5 minutes before adding the little carrots design.
- Enjoy immediately or serve when the frosting hardens a bit.
In the end, this carrot loaf cake recipe is a winner for me. It’s simple to make with minimal ingredients, and the cake itself is tasty enough to enjoy without the frosting. Whether you prefer it as is or with the cute frosting decoration. Give it a try and see for yourself!
Thank you so much for being here, I hope you enjoy this recipe, we would love to know how it went, contact us here! Also, check out other Easter food ideas HERE.
