Carrot Bundt Cake

Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) Headshot By Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
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This carrot bundt cake recipe is so much easier to pull together than frosting a carrot layer cake. It’s moist and full of warming spices with a finish of cream cheese glaze and toasted coconut.

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Closeup of two carrot bundt cake slices on a plate, one facing forward to show the fluffy interior, with the rest of the cake in the background

When developing this recipe, I wanted to make sure that it ended up moist and tender each time it was baked. Here is what I make sure I do:

  1. Shred The Carrots: I always grate my own carrots because pre-shredded ones from the grocery store come dry as a bone. Even better? Toss in the food processor to get them fine.
  2. Measure correctly! Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off. Packed flour can make your bundt too dense and heavy.
  3. Microwave the cream cheese. Heat it in 10-second bursts until it’s soft. It makes the glaze smoother.

How To Make Carrot Bundt Cake

Mix the Cake Batter

Wet carrot cake mixture stirred until fully combined in a glass mixing bowl

Step 1: Add shredded carrots, granulated sugar, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Whisk together.

Sifted dry ingredients mixed together in a glass bowl

Step 2: Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg to a separate bowl. Sift together.

Wet and dry ingredients partially combined in a large glass bowl

Step 3: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Fully mixed carrot cake batter with a smooth, slightly bubbly texture

Step 4: Whisk together until well incorporated.

Bake the Cake

Carrot cake batter poured evenly into a greased Bundt pan

Step 5: Add the batter to a bundt pan.

Carrot Bundt cake cooling on a wire rack, removed from the pan

Step 6: Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan, then turn the cake out on a cooling rack to cool completely.

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Glaze it Up!

Finished frosting mixture in a metal bowl, creamy and slightly glossy

Step 7: Add cream cheese to your mixer and mix on medium high speed. Turn mixer down to slow speed and carefully add in confectioners sugar in two separate intervals until incorporated. Add orange juice and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and pourable.

Carrot bundt cake topped with white glaze and sprinkled with toasted coconut, served on a white plate

Step 8: Drizzle icing over top of cooled cake. Garnish the top of the pound cake with toasted coconut and robin eggs and serve!

Full carrot bundt cake on a white plate, drizzled with cream cheese frosting and topped with toasted coconut

Carrot Bundt Cake Recipe

This Carrot Bundt Cake recipe is made with freshly grated carrots and sour cream to keep it moist. Warming spices cinnamon, clove and nutmeg give it a classic flavor.
4.17 from 12 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams
Course: Dessert
Servings: 16 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup sour cream room temperature, or plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Glaze:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • ⅓ cup confectioners sugar
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Optional: toasted coconut for garnish
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

For the Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In one large bowl, whisk together shredded carrots, granulated sugar, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together until well incorporated.
  • Add the batter to a non-stick sprayed 10 inch bundt pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan then turn the cake out on a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Glaze:

  • Add cream cheese to your mixer (or use a hand mixer and medium size bowl) and mix on medium high speed.
  • Turn mixer down to slow speed and carefully add in confectioners sugar in two separate intervals until incorporated.
  • Next add orange juice and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and pourable (add a little bit more orange juice if you want the icing a little looser or until you get the consistency you prefer).
  • Drizzle icing over top of cooled cake.
  • Optional: Garnish the top of the pound cake with toasted coconut and robin eggs and serve.

Notes

Spoon your flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Packed flour makes for a dense cake, and you don’t wanna mess up your carrot bundt cake like that. While you’re at it, save yourself the arm workout and shred your carrots using the grater blade on your food processor. If you don’t have that blade, just throw the carrots in with the regular one and pulse until they’re finely chopped.
If you forgot to set out your cream cheese ahead of time for the glaze, just microwave it in 10-second bursts until it’s soft but not melted. And if your glaze feels a little too thick, add a splash more orange juice, just a little at a time, until it hits the texture you like. Some people like it to drizzle, some like it to drip… Do you, boos!
Storage: You can store it in the fridge for 4 days, fully glazed and covered tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. If it’s unglazed, it can chill at room temp for up to 2 days. Just wrap it up well so it doesn’t dry out. You can pour the glaze into a sealed container and stash it in the fridge too. It’ll keep for a few days.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 243mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 2985IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1.1mg
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Recipe Variations

  • Add crushed pineapple. Adding ½ cup of drained crushed pineapple to the batter adds tropical vibes.
  • Toss in some nuts. Add ½ to 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts. Fold them in right at the end of making your batter so they don’t sink to the bottom.
  • Mix in coconut. Stir in ½ cup of sweetened shredded coconut for texture.
  • Stir in raisins. Add ½ cup of golden or regular raisins. Soak them in warm water (or a splash of rum!) for 10 minutes, then drain before mixing them into the batter.

Recipe Help

Do I need to peel the carrots first?

Yep, give those carrots a quick peel. This is a carrot bundt cake with cream cheese glaze boos, not with bitter carrot skin baked in!

Can I bake this cake without a Bundt pan?

You sure can! Bake it in two 9-inch round cake pans or use a 9×13-inch pan.

How do I keep the cake from sticking to the Bundt pan?

Use baking spray with flour in it or do it old school: butter every nook and cranny, then dust with flour.

Closeup of a single slice of carrot bundt cake on a white plate, showing the moist interior, with a golden fork next to it

More Carrot Cake Recipes

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Filed Under:  Easter, Oven, Pound Cakes
4.17 from 12 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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