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Carrot Cake Loaf

prep time: 30 min | bake time: 45 min | total time: 1.25 hrs

This Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Icing is a moist and flavorful dessert that’s easy to make and perfect for any occasion. The freshly grated carrots add natural sweetness and a tender crumb, while the tangy cream cheese icing takes it to the next level. Whether you're serving it for brunch, dessert, or a special occasion, this carrot cake loaf is sure to impress!
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Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Icing

If you love carrot cake, then you will absolutely adore this carrot cake loaf! It’s an eggless, moist, and flavorful dessert perfect for any occasion. This easy carrot cake loaf recipe has been a viral hit on my Instagram, thanks to its tender crumb, aromatic spices, and smooth cream cheese frosting. Packed with freshly grated carrots, this loaf has a natural sweetness that pairs beautifully with the rich and tangy cream cheese icing. It’s a simple, go-to recipe that can easily be made vegan and dairy-free. Whether you’re serving it for dessert, breakfast, or brunch, expect everyone to go for another slice.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for This Carrot Cake Loaf

Loaf Ingredients

  • Milk: Many recipes call for buttermilk but I wanted to create a recipe that could easily become dairy free if necessary. When milk is combined with vinegar it creates a buttermilk substitute for a tender crumb. You can use any type of milk you prefer but if going for dairy free opt for something like almond, soy, or oat milk.
  • White Vinegar or Lemon Juice: This will help the milk curdle, giving the loaf a soft and moist texture without the need for buttermilk.
  • Cane Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and moisture. The brown sugar also gives a deeper, caramel-like flavor.
  • Vegetable Oil: Keeps the loaf extra moist and tender. You can use any neutral oil of your choice such as sunflower oil, grapeseed oil. 
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor and brings out the warmth of the spices.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the loaf. Use a high quality all-purpose gluten-free flour if necessary.
  • Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Helps the loaf rise and gives it a light texture.
  • Cinnamon Powder: Adds warmth and spice that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the carrots.
  • Salt: Balances the flavors.
  • Grated Carrots: Freshly grated carrots add natural sweetness and moisture to the loaf. Use 2-3 medium-sized carrots. I use orange carrots but if you wanted to go for something more rustic you could use any color.
  • Walnuts: I know this is not everyone’s thing so adding walnuts is entirely optional but they add a crunch and texture that really goes nicely with the fluffy crumb of the loaf.

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients

  • Cream Cheese: So classic for carrot cake recipes – using cream cheese for your icing will create a delicious tangy contrast to the sweet loaf. Using dairy-free cream cheese will offer you the same results.
  • Butter: Softened butter (or dairy-free butter) helps make the frosting smooth and spreadable.
  • Powdered Sugar: Balances the tang of the cream cheese, using powdered sugar ensures your icing is smooth and not grainy.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances the creaminess and rounds out the flavor of the frosting.

Cream Cheese Icing Alternatives

Here are a few other icing alternatives if you aren’t a fan of cream cheese icing!

 

  • Buttercream Frosting: Made with butter, powdered sugar, and a bit of vanilla, buttercream frosting is a classic alternative. You can make it dairy-free by using plant-based butter.
  • Coconut Whipped Cream: Made by whipping the thick part of canned coconut milk or cream, this vegan-friendly frosting is light and has a mild coconut flavor. A lighter topping option for carrot cakes or other vegan cakes.
  • Glaze: A quick glaze made from powdered sugar and a liquid like plant milk, lemon juice, or orange juice. It’s thinner than frosting but adds sweetness and a shiny finish.
  • Greek Yogurt Frosting: For a healthier alternative, mix Greek yogurt with a little powdered sugar and vanilla. This creates a lighter, tangy frosting, though it’s not dairy-free unless you use plant-based yogurt.

How to Make This Easy Carrot Cake Loaf

Prepare the Batter

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 8-inch (20cm) loaf pan, lining it with parchment paper for easy removal. In a small bowl, mix milk and vinegar (or lemon juice) and let it sit for 10 minutes to curdle, creating a buttermilk substitute. Add cane sugar, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the milk and mix until the sugar dissolves.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, whisking until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter. Gently fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts (optional) until evenly distributed.

Bake the Cake

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool completely before applying the cream cheese frosting to avoid melting your icing.

Prepare the Cream Cheese Icing

While the loaf cools, beat together softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, whipping until the icing is light and fluffy. Once the loaf is fully cooled, spread the icing generously over the top. For extra flavor, garnish with chopped walnuts, slice, and serve!

How to Achieve Good Height For Your Carrot Cheesecake

To achieve a good height for your eggless and vegan carrot cake loaf, here are some easy baking tips:

  • Use the Right Baking Pan: Use the correct size of the loaf pan (typically 8×4 inches or 9×5 inches). A pan that’s too large will spread the batter too thin, resulting in a flatter cake. If the pan is too small, the cake may rise unevenly.
  • Proper Leavening: This recipe relies on the reaction between baking soda and vinegar for a good rise. Make sure both are fresh and active.
  • Do Not Overmix: Overmixing your batter can knock out the air and make the cake denser. Mix until the ingredients are just combined to keep the batter light and airy.
  • Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure that your ingredients (plant milk, carrots, vinegar, etc.) are at room temperature. Cold ingredients can affect how well the cake rises.
  • Don’t Open the Oven Door: Opening the oven door too soon can cause the cake to deflate. Wait until the cake is almost fully risen before checking for doneness.
  • Preheat the Oven: Always preheat your oven and ensure it’s set to the correct temperature (usually around 350°F/175°C for this type of loaf). Too low a temperature will cause the cake to rise slowly and unevenly.
  • Bake in the Center of the Oven: Place your loaf pan in the center of the oven where heat is evenly distributed. This ensures the cake rises evenly.

How to Keep Your Loaf Moist

  • Wrap in Plastic: After the loaf cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. This prevents air exposure, which can dry out the cake.
  • Refrigerate if Necessary: If you’re storing the cake for more than 2-3 days, refrigerate it. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
  • Light Syrup Coating: If you want to add extra moisture, lightly brush the loaf with a simple syrup (made of sugar and water) after baking. This locks in moisture and adds a subtle sweetness.

Why This Carrot Cake Loaf is the Best

This carrot cake loaf is the perfect balance of sweet, spiced, and tangy flavors. It’s perfect for any occasion, you can reduce the sugar in the recipe if you want to enjoy it as a breakfast option, you can double the recipe if you want to share it at a family function or you can make it, slice and freeze pieces individually for a little slice of decadence whenever you desire! The grated carrots keep the loaf incredibly moist while adding natural sweetness, and the aromatic spices like cinnamon make it feel warm and comforting.

 

The cream cheese icing brings a tangy richness that complements the carrot loaf perfectly, making each bite a delicious treat. Not to mention this recipe is egg-free, and with simple ingredient swaps, it can be made completely vegan without losing any of the classic flavors!

FAQ for Carrot Cake Loaf

A loaf cake is typically denser and baked in a loaf pan, while a regular cake is lighter and often baked in round or square pans.

The loaf can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container, or refrigerated for up to 7 days.

Over baking or using too little fat or less sugar can cause a carrot cake to be dry. Make sure to follow the baking times closely and use the right amount of oil.

Use freshly grated carrots and add warming spices such as cinnamon to enhance the flavor of carrots. 

If your carrot cake is dry, you can brush it with a simple syrup or glaze to add moisture. Additionally, serving it with extra cream cheese icing can help balance the texture.

Tips For The Best Carrot Cake Loaf

  • Use freshly grated carrots: For the best flavor and texture, always grate the carrots fresh. Pre-shredded carrots tend to be dry and lack flavor.
  • Let the loaf cool completely: Make sure your carrot cake loaf is fully cooled before adding the cream cheese icing to avoid melted, runny icing.
  • Add mix-ins: For extra flavor, feel free to add raisins, chopped pecans, or shredded coconut to the batter.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and review below!

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Saloni Mehta Pastry Chef and Food Blogger

Meet Saloni

I’m a former pastry chef with a love for breads, cakes and everything in between! My recipes are easy to follow, egg free and are designed to be shared with others!

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5 from 7 votes

Carrot Cake Loaf

This Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Icing is a moist and flavorful dessert that’s easy to make and perfect for any occasion. The freshly grated carrots add natural sweetness and a tender crumb, while the tangy cream cheese icing takes it to the next level. Whether you're serving it for brunch, dessert, or a special occasion, this carrot cake loaf is sure to impress!
Author: Saloni Mehta
Rate
Yield: 10 servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Loaf Ingredients

  • 225 ml Milk*
  • 1 tsp White Vinegar or Lemon Juice*
  • 100 g Cane Sugar* or castor sugar
  • 70 g Light Brown Sugar
  • 90 ml Vegetable Oil or any neutral oil
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 255 g All Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • ¾ tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • 150 g Carrots (roughly 2-3 medium-sized) peeled and grated,
  • 35 g Chopped Walnuts optional

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients

  • 110 g Cream Cheese* soft
  • 45 g Butter* soft
  • 60 g Powdered Sugar sifted
  • ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Loaf Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350℉(175℃).
  • Grease an 8-inch (20cm) loaf tin with oil. Line it with an overhang of baking paper
  • In a bowl combine milk, and lemon juice and let it sit for 10 minutes until slightly curdled.
  • Add oil, vanilla extract, cane sugar and light brown sugar. Mix with a whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
  • In a separate bowl combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt)
  • Mix dry ingredients into liquid ingredients with an electric whisk or hand whisk.
  • Add grated carrots and fold the batter gently.
  • Fill the loaf tin with carrot cake batter.
  • Score the carrot cake batter in the middle about 1/4 inch deep with a knife starting from one end to the other to get an even rise.
  • Bake for roughly 30-40 min or until firm to touch.
  • Cool completely before you add cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing Instructions

  • Combine the soft butter, soft cream cheese, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.
  • Mix until light and fluffy with a paddle attachment or electric whisk.
  • Add powdered sugar and mix until the icing is light and fluffy.
  • Once the loaf cake is fully cooled, place it on a plate and top with the cream cheese icing.
  • Using an offset or the back of a spoon, smooth out the cream cheese icing.
  • Decorate with chopped walnuts.
  • Slice the Carrot Cake Loaf into thick slices and serve.
  • For best results store it in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature or in the fridge for 7 days.

Notes

  • Cup vs weighing scale: The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams.
  • Before you start to make any recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the process will go smoothly and easily.
  • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with for accuracy.
  • Milk: You can use any dairy-free unsweetened milk (like almond, soy, oat) or dairy-based whole milk.
  • Butter: Dairy-free salted butter sticks or any salted butter of your choice.
  • Lemon Juice: You can substitute with Apple Cider Vinegar / White Vinegar and vice-versa.
  • Sugar: Cane sugar can be substituted with granulated sugar or castor sugar. Ensure the sugar is vegan-friendly (some sugars are processed with bone char) or use organic cane sugar.
  • Cream Cheese: Dairy-free cream cheese or any plain full-fat cream cheese of your choice.

Did you try this recipe? Leave a review!

24 Responses

      1. Hi Saloni! First time here and I’m already loving the recipes 😊

        Quick question, should we cut 30 g from both sugars? That’d make it 70 g cane sugar and 40 g brown sugar, right?

        Also, if I use a different milk (I’m thinking oat), do I need to adjust anything in the recipe?

        Thanks in advance!

        Reply

        1. Hi Bel,

          Thank you for visiting my website. It makes me so happy!
          You can reduce sugar by 30g in total, so it will be 70g of cane sugar and 70g of light brown sugar or 40g of Light Brown Sugar and 100g of cane sugar to get best results. Yes you can Substitute unsweetened Oat Milk in this recipe in 1:1 ratio.
          Good Luck!

          Reply

    1. Hi Eliza,

      Thats great, thank you for sharing. I will suggest to use gluten free flour blend for baking that we get pre-made in grocery stores for baking purposes. For eg: Bobs Red Mill GF Flour, Divided Sunset GF Flour both will yield good results.

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    This is the best carrot cake recipe I’ve ever made. My family and I devoured it. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    hi saloni .
    can i replace refined flour with wheat flour? if yes should i add more milk or buttermilk?

    Reply

    1. Hi Praneetha
      Great question. Yes, you can replace refined flour (maida) with whole wheat flour. However, since wheat flour tends to absorb more liquid than refined flour, you might need to add a little more milk or buttermilk to maintain the desired consistency.Hope this helps!

      Best
      Saloni

      Reply

  8. Hi, thank you for sending through the recipe, look forward to making this loaf.
    I am allergic to cinnamon, can you please recommend an alternative…

    Reply

    1. Hi Katerina

      thank you for your message! You can simply leave out the cinnamon, and it won’t alter the flavor of the loaf too much. If you’d like, you could add a bit more vanilla to enhance the flavor instead.

      Reply

    2. 5 stars
      ciao bellissima ricetta, sicuramente proverò a farla, con farine senza glutine visto che sono celiaca. ti volevo chiedere una cosa, dici di conservare per 2/3 giorni a temperatura ambiente, ma la glassa non rischia di rovinarsi fuori dal frigorifero?

      Reply

  9. hey saw your other recipe of carrot cake..are both the recipes same ..as I see lot of difference in oil and sugar ratio ..pls help

    Reply

    1. Hi Rekha

      All the recipes on my website are tested and up to date, so you can be sure they’re accurate. Also, don’t confuse the carrot cake recipe with the carrot cake loaf – they’re actually two different cakes with distinct textures and flavors.Hope this was helpful!

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    i have seen your recipe on instagram

    it looked so beautiful!
    i could not wait to make it, I made it today.
    it was so delicious.

    thank u for sharing

    Reply
5 from 7 votes

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