You don’t need to be a professional baker to enjoy this moist, flavourful carrot cake loaf recipe. The humble carrot is the star of this show!
The batter for the cake loaf is spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, then mixed with sultanas, and optionally, walnuts. When the mixture has been well mixed, it’s poured into a greased or lined loaf pan.
It bakes up beautifully in less than an hour – golden brown on top with that irresistible crusty layer around the edges!
How To Make Carrot Cake Loaf
The ingredients required for this loaf cake are similar to a regular round carrot cake – they are just made in a loaf-shaped tin instead!
I used vegetable oil to keep this cake nice and moist – but you could use butter if you prefer.
What You Need
(Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements and instructions)
For the carrot cake:
- Vegetable oil (or you can use butter)
- Soft brown sugar
- Eggs
- Self-raising flour
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg
- Grated carrot
- Vanilla essence
- Sultanas
- Walnuts, chopped (optional)
For the cream cheese frosting:
You can serve the carrot cake loaf as it is, or decorate it with some cream cheese frosting or icing;
- Butter at room temperature
- Cream cheese
- Icing sugar
- Vanilla essence
- Orange zest
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices together in a bowl and mix together before adding the beaten eggs and oil.
Finally add in the vanilla essence, sugar, grated carrots and sultanas (and the chopped walnuts if you are using).
Transfer the mixture to a greased 2lb loaf tin and cook in a preheated oven (190C/375F/Gas Mark 5). Cook for 45 minutes – but check on it halfway through to make sure it isn’t burning on the outside. If it is cooking too quickly, place some foil loosely on top.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin before taking it out. You can either serve it plain, or decorate it with some icing or cream cheese frosting.
Making Cream Cheese Frosting For Carrot Cake Loaf
Making cream cheese frosting is quick and easy, you just need to beat together the butter and cream cheese (either by hand or with an electric mixer), before adding in the icing sugar and vanilla essence. Finish by stirring in the zest of an orange.
Use a spatula to spread the cream cheese frosting over the carrot cake – you can optionally sprinkle some chopped walnuts on top too.
How Long Does Carrot Cake Loaf Last?
If you have added the cream cheese frosting you need to store it in the fridge – it will last for up to 3 days.
Without frosting, and preferably uncut, carrot cake loaf will last for up to 7 days in the fridge and up to 2 days at room temperature.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it let me know what you think by leaving a review and comment below!
Carrot Cake Loaf
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Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 180 g soft brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 200 g grated carrot
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 75 g sultanas
- 75 g walnuts chopped (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 100 g butter room temperature
- 200 g cream cheese
- 100 g icing sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Zest of 1 orange
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.
- Lightly grease a 2lb loaf tin.
- In a bowl, sift in the self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon and set to one side.
- In a separate bowl or jug, beat the eggs and stir in the oil.
- Add the vanilla essence, sugar, grated carrots and sultanas, mixing them together. If you are adding walnuts, stir them in now too.
- Transfer mixture to the greased loaf tin and cook for 45 minutes. Check on it halfway through, if it is browning up too quickly on top loosely cover it with some foil.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin before removing it. Either serve as it is or top with cream cheese frosting.
To make the cream cheese frosting:
1. Beat the butter and cream cheese together, either with an electric mixer or by hand.
2. Add in the icing sugar and vanilla essence, beating until well mixed in.
3. Stir in the orange zest.
4. Spread over the carrot cake loaf with a spatula.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an estimate.