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Carrot bundt cake is flavorful and perfectly moist. Top it with a tangy cream cheese frosting for a cake that will be the centerpiece of your holiday dinner!
I came across this carrot bundt cake recipe in a bit of a strange way.
My right-hand woman Stephie sent me a TikTok telling a story from Reddit of how a carrot cake recipe was threatening to pull a family apart. And it just so happened that the Redditor shared the recipe in their post.
Well, you know that I was curious and had to try this cake.
I ended up making a couple of tweaks, including turning it into a bundt cake, but the end result is one great carrot cake recipe that would be an amazing addition to your Easter menu.
What makes this carrot bundt cake so great?
I have made some great carrot cake recipes in my time, including J. Alexander’s carrot cake and my classic carrot cake. So what makes this one worth sharing?
Well, for one, I decided to turn it into a bundt cake. You all know how much I love bundt cakes, and I think it’s nice to have a go-to recipe for each holiday and season.
But the real reason this carrot bundt cake is so great? It’s super moist.
I know, I know, we hate that word. But it’s the thing that really sets this cake apart!
After all, the moistness level is why we love recipes like my banana cake, so we know it’s one of the key things that makes for a great cake.
In the case of this recipe, the secret is using carrot baby food along with shredded carrots. The pureed carrots keep the cake beautifully moist while adding more of that delicious, slightly sweet carrot flavor we all love.
Unlike my other carrot cake recipes, this one does not use any pineapple, coconut, or raisins, so it’s a great option for anyone with allergies or aversions to any of those ingredients.
It’s just pure, delicious, carrot-y goodness in here.
How to make my carrot bundt cake
This carrot bundt cake comes together pretty quickly. Most of the time needed for the recipe is baking and cooling time, so it’s a great option if you don’t have a lot of hands-on time available.
Ingredients you’ll need
This is a kind of long ingredient list, but I promise that all of the ingredients serve a purpose in this recipe.
For the carrot cake itself, you will need:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup carrot baby food or carrot puree
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
I upped the amount of cinnamon from the original recipe and also added ground nutmeg. They both add a delicious spiced flavor that pairs beautifully with the mild sweetness of the carrots.
I also use a combination of brown and granulated sugar in this cake. I love using brown sugar to add depth of flavor to all sorts of recipes, and this carrot bundt cake is no different.
If you are raising your eyebrows at using carrot baby food, remember that it’s just unseasoned carrot puree! You can make your own carrot puree by steaming carrots until soft and pureeing them in a food processor or high-speed blender, but I go with the baby food because it’s quick and easy.
If you don’t like walnuts or can’t have them due to an allergy, don’t worry. You can leave them out and this cake will still be just as delicious!
Of course, in my mind it’s not a carrot cake without cream cheese frosting. For the frosting, you will need:
- ¼ cup room-temperature unsalted butter
- 4 ounces room-temperature cream cheese
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
If you don’t want to use cream cheese frosting, try a simple glaze such as the one I used on my pistachio pudding cake.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItMaking this carrot bundt cake
Before you get started making the cake batter, prep your bundt pan by spraying it with nonstick spray. I prefer to use one made for baking.
If you are worried about sticking, especially if you have a really detailed bundt pan, you can generously butter and flour your pan instead.
To make the cake, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugars, oil, eggs, vanilla, and carrot baby food or puree until well combined.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined, then fold in the shredded carrots and the walnuts, if using.
Pour the batter into your prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the carrot bundt cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Once the cake has cooled completely, make the frosting by beating the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes. Add the salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar; beat on low until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 3 minutes.
Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cake and enjoy!
Helpful resources
- Before starting, make sure you know how to measure flour properly. This will help your carrot bundt cake to turn out perfect every time.
- Out of brown sugar? Make a simple brown sugar substitute to use instead.
- If your brown sugar hardened in the pantry, check out my tips for how to soften brown sugar and save yourself a trip to the grocery store.
- The butter and cream cheese for the frosting need to be at room temperature for the cream cheese frosting to come together. If you forget to set yours out ahead of time, I’ve got some tips for softening cream cheese and softening butter quickly.
Storage and freezing tips
Store the carrot bundt cake, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze the cake, either whole (frosted or unfrosted) or in slices:
- Freeze the unfrosted cake by wrapping it well in plastic wrap, then heavy-duty foil Freeze for up to 2 months.
- If the carrot bundt cake has been frosted, freeze it on a sheet pan until solid, then wrap it in plastic wrap followed by foil. Freeze for up to a month.
- For freezing slices of the cake, place the slices on a sheet tray and freeze until firm. Wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag for up to a month.
For more details, check out my post on how to freeze cake.
Recipe FAQs
Using carrot baby food is a super quick and easy shortcut for this recipe, but you don’t have to use it. You can make your own carrot puree by steaming carrots until soft, then pureeing them in a food processor or high-speed blender.
Make sure you do not add any salt when steaming or pureeing the carrots. Seasoning the carrot puree will throw off the seasoning of the cake.
This carrot bundt cake is delicious the next day and the texture holds up well in the refrigerator, so you can absolutely make it the day before you plan to serve it.
Make the cake, frost it, and store it in a covered cake carrier in the refrigerator until you plan to serve it. I recommend letting it come to room temperature for about an hour before serving.
I love cream cheese frosting with carrot cake, but I know that not everyone does! A simple vanilla glaze would be delicious, as would my homemade buttercream frosting.
Even a simple dusting of powdered sugar would be beautiful and perfect with this carrot bundt cake! You really can’t go wrong.
Carrot Bundt Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup carrot baby food or carrot puree
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup chopped walnuts optional
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray – preferably the type made for baking. You can also generously butter and flour your pan instead of using nonstick spray if that’s your preference.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and carrot baby food until well-combined and smooth.
- Use a rubber spatula to gradually combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated. Fold in the shredded carrots and optional walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes before turning the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake has fully cooled, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes. Add in the salt, vanilla and powdered sugar and beat on low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 3 minutes, taking care to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cake.
- Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- Before starting, make sure you know how to measure flour properly. This will help your carrot bundt cake to turn out perfect every time.
- Out of brown sugar? Make a simple brown sugar substitute to use instead.
- If your brown sugar hardened in the pantry, check out my tips for how to soften brown sugar and save yourself a trip to the grocery store.
- The butter and cream cheese for the frosting need to be at room temperature for the cream cheese frosting to come together. If you forget to set yours out ahead of time, I’ve got some tips for softening cream cheese and softening butter quickly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Was feeling lazy and almost replaced the carrot puree with applesauce. I’m so glad I kept the recipe as it was!! Incredibly moist and tender with perfect carrot flavour.
This is a divine cake – a beautiful moist and delicious cake. I left out the nuts ( dietary reasons) and instead of shredding the carrots I part steamed them leaving them still firm but not crunchy, then blitz in the processor for a few seconds. This gives a nutty texture so the walnuts aren’t so much missed.
Yummy, yummy!!! Always a crowd pleaser! Reminds all of us of the small aluminum foil Sara Lee Banana Cake back in the late 60’s early 70’s!!! Thank you!
So happy to see that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
Looks delish