Carrot Bundt Cake
This carrot bundt cake packs in the same flavors and textures as your favorite spiced carrot cake, minus the hassle of stacking and frosting cake layers. This recipe doesn’t have any nuts or raisins, but you’re welcome to add them in if you prefer a loaded carrot cake!
I love baking cakes in a bundt pan because it’s quicker and easier than making a traditional cake, which usually requires extra steps like frosting and decorating.
This carrot bundt cake is no exception! It’s an easier version of my carrot cake recipe (which has nearly 700 5-star reviews!). But we’re using a little less sugar, baking it in a bundt pan, and covering it in a simple cream cheese icing instead.
The pretty design of the bundt pan makes this cake look like a showstopper without having to use any special decorating tools. Even better, the batter is easy to whisk together and only takes about 20 minutes to prepare.
This recipe would be perfect for any upcoming spring or Easter gatherings you have planned. It’s a crowd-pleasing dessert that everyone will love!
Watch The Recipe Video
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Carrots
Make sure to use freshly grated carrots for this recipe. I don’t recommend using the shredded carrots that you can buy at the store because they’re usually pretty dry. I typically use the largest holes on the side of a cheese grater to keep from grating them too finely.
Cream Cheese
You’ll need 2 ounces (¼ of a block) of cream cheese to make the icing. Look for full-fat cream cheese that’s sold in foil-wrapped bricks and avoid the spreadable kind sold in tubs.
Applesauce
This is the secret ingredient that keeps this carrot cake super moist without making it the slightest bit greasy! I prefer to use unsweetened applesauce, but if you can only find one that’s sweetened, that’s okay. If you’re out of applesauce (or don’t want to use it), you can substitute it with ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream or one 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple that’s been drained.
Oil
It’s best to stick with a neutral flavored oil like canola, vegetable oil, or avocado oil. Coconut oil also works, just make sure all of your other ingredients are at room temperature so it doesn’t solidify when it comes into contact with them.
Tips for Making a Super Moist Cake
- Measure the flour correctly. It’s important to spoon the flour out of the container and into your measuring cup, then level it off using the back of a butter knife. If you scoop the flour out of the container with the measuring cup, you’ll compact it and wind up measuring out too much. Too much flour = a dry, dense cake.
- Use brown sugar. This recipe calls for both brown sugar and granulated sugar, but you’ll notice that there’s nearly three times as much brown sugar. That’s because brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture. (Plus, it also reacts with the baking soda to make the cake rise.) If you’re out, you can make a brown sugar substitute using granulated sugar and molasses.
- Avoid over mixing the batter. Once the dry ingredients are added to the wet, stop mixing as soon as everything comes together. Over mixing the batter can cause too much gluten development, and your baked cake could turn out tough or gummy.
- Don’t over bake it! This is a surefire way to end up with a dry cake. You want the top to be golden and set, and a toothpick inserted in the middle to come out clean. If the top looks like it’s browning too quickly, tent the pan with foil so the middle can keep cooking without burning the top.
How To Keep Your Cake From Sticking To The Pan
When it comes to bundt pans, cake batter loves to cling to every nook and cranny.
To prevent your cake from sticking to the pan: make sure to use a non-stick bundt pan, spray it generously with non-stick cooking spray, and only let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, it needs to be flipped over onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely. If you notice that there’s some parts of the cake that seem to be sticking to the pan, you can slide a butter knife between the cake and the pan to help loosen it.
Different Icing Options
I opted to use a cream cheese icing because it pairs well with carrot cake (plus, it’s easy to pour and doesn’t need to be piped or spread on!). The only downside is that it does need to be refrigerated if you use this icing.
If you want to try something different or that doesn’t need to be refrigerated, you could use the maple cinnamon glaze from my pumpkin donuts or a simple vanilla glaze like the one from my apple cake.
Can I Add Nuts Or Raisins?
Go for it! You can add up to 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans and ½ cup of raisins.
What’s The Best Type Of Pan To Use?
I recommend using a light colored bundt pan with a 12-cup capacity. A non-stick pan is also best because it offers extra assurance that the cake won’t stick to it.
I hope your friends and family love this carrot bundt cake as much as mine did! If you try it, don’t forget to leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!
Carrot Bundt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Carrot Bundt Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (250 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar (250 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ¾ cup canola or vegetable oil (180 ml)
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (125 grams)
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups lightly packed grated carrots (300 grams; I use the larger side of a cheese grater)
Cream Cheese Icing
- 2 ounces brick-style cream cheese softened (57 grams)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (28 grams)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120 grams)
- 1 tablespoon milk (15 ml)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the carrot cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until well combined. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour,2 teaspoons baking powder,1 teaspoon baking soda,1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon,½ teaspoon ground ginger,¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg,¼ teaspoon ground cloves,½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Add the grated carrots to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar,½ cup granulated sugar,¾ cup canola or vegetable oil,½ cup unsweetened applesauce,4 large eggs,1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract,3 cups lightly packed grated carrots
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk or rubber spatula until just combined, making sure not to over mix the batter.
- Spray a 10-inch (12 cup) bundt pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth it out.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted all the way into the cake comes out clean. If needed, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking time to prevent excess browning.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 20 minutes. Slide a butter knife down the sides of the cake to loosen any parts that may be stuck, then carefully invert the cake on top of a cooling rack and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
- To make the cream cheese icing: Add the cream cheese and butter to a large microwave-safe mixing bowl or glass measuring cup. Using a hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.2 ounces brick-style cream cheese,2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined, then add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and mix until fully combined.1 cup powdered sugar
- Add the milk and vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.1 tablespoon milk,½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Place the bowl of cream cheese frosting in the microwave and microwave in 10-second increments, stirring well after each one, until the frosting is thin and a pourable consistency (mine usually takes about 20 seconds total).
- Pour the icing all over the top of the bundt cake. Allow to set before slicing and serving.
