Learn how to bake light, moist carrot cake in a loaf pan. No stand mixer needed. Recipe uses olive oil as the fat rather than butter for a terrifically moist texture. The loaf cake itself is dairy free, or you can finish with a not-too-sweet maple cream cheese icing.
Carrot Loaf Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Hi hi! Happy Spring! I am just popping in here to share this recipe for Carrot Loaf Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting. This is a super easy recipe that is great to have as a back pocket staple. It comes together fast, and keeps extremely well, so is great to make in advance. The Carrot Cake Loaf is light and moist, and the maple cream cheese frosting isn't too sweet and pairs perfectly. I hope that you love this one as much as I do!
I love making Carrot Cake any time of year - carrots are especially sweet in the winter. If you want a teeny weeny carrot cake, check out my small batch carrot cake, which is brown butter based rather than this carrot loaf cake which uses oil as it is needed for the moisture in a slightly thicker cake.
How to make Carrot Loaf Cake
This recipe is super, super easy. The Carrot Loaf Cake doesn't require a mixer of any sort - you just stir it all together and then pop it in the oven.
- Combine the wet ingredients - We are counting sugar as a wet ingredient here. Brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Mix together the dry ingredients - This carrot loaf cake has flour, leavener (baking powder and soda), salt, and then a few warming spices. I used cinnamon, ginger and cardamom, but feel free to mix it up a little if you like.
- Combine it all together - Dump the wet into the dry, and mix until incorporated. Easy easy.
- Add the carrot - Carrot goes in last. I like to fold it in with a rubber spatula or a whisk.
- Bake - The Carrot Loaf Cake bakes for about an hour until perfectly golden brown and cooked throughout. Once it is done, remove it from the oven and leave to cool until you are ready to frost it!
- Make the Cream Cheese Maple Frosting - The Maple cream cheese frosting is super easy to make - either combine everything by hand or use an electric mixer. Spread it on the top and you are good to go!
Can this Loaf Cake be made ahead of time?
This Carrot Cake Loaf is super moist, so is perfect for making ahead of time. You can make the loaf cake, and store it either wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days ahead. You can make the frosting ahead of time if you like too and just give it a quick re-whip when needed. I made carrot loaf cake to take to a friend during testing and just popped the frosting in a wee container so she could add it herself once she got home. She mentioned it was still soft about 5 days after, so the loaf cake keeps extremely well thanks to the oil in the recipe.
Carrot Loaf Cake with no Frosting
If you wanted to keep the whole carrot loaf cake recipe dairy free there are two options. The first is to finish the carrot cake with a little turbinado sugar before baking, and leave off the frosting. This will make it beautiful and crunchy on the top. The other is to make a glaze with a little powdered sugar and either lemon or orange juice, and use that instead! The Maple Cream Cheese frosting is super good though!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add nuts?
If you want to, go for it! I would add about 80 grams of chopped toasted walnuts to the mix at the same time as the carrot.
What loaf do you use?
I used a 1 lb Loaf tin for this carrot loaf cake (8"x4"). You can use a slightly larger one if that is all you have, but the cake will bake up a bit wider and shorter.
Can this be made as muffins?
Yes, it should be great as muffins too, although I haven't tried it. Muffins are mini versions of quick breads, which is what this loaf cake is (same as banana bread etc), whereas cupcakes are mini versions of cakes. Fun fact! The leavening is usually different in a quick bread and a cake, but for the most part a quick bread recipe can be turned into muffins easily.
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Easy Olive Oil Carrot Cake in Loaf Pan
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf cake 1x
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Learn how to bake light, moist carrot cake in a loaf pan. No stand mixer needed. Recipe uses olive oil as the fat rather than butter for a terrifically moist texture. The loaf cake itself is dairy free, or you can finish with a not-too-sweet maple cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
Carrot Loaf Cake
- 130g light or dark brown sugar
- 65g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 125g extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 210g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¾ tsp cardamom
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 180g freshly grated carrot
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- 225g full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 35g powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
Instructions
CARROT CAKE LOAF
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Grease and line a 1 lb (8"x4") loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper that extends over the sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Add the grated carrot and switch to a rubber spatula, and mix until incorporated.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 60 minutes or until the top springs back when pressed lightly and a skewer or tester inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container until ready to frost.
MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In a medium bowl using a spatula or electric mixer, combine together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth and incorporated.
- Add the maple syrup and mix to combine.
- Spread the frosting over the surface of the cooled carrot loaf cake. Slice into pieces using a serrated or sharp knife.
Store leftovers in an airtight container either covered at room temperature or in the fridge.
Comments
stacy says
can't wait to try this!
Jaime-Anne says
Made this with grated apple instead of carrot and a strusel topping. Turned out beautifully!
Erin says
Ahhh yayyyy! That sounds so good!
Caribou says
All your olive oil recipes are so delish!! This one looks as good as your others!!
Taylor says
I made this last night in two 6in baking pans because my loaf pan was in use and they baked in 35 minutes and were delicious!! I love all the spices and it's so moist!
Erin says
Ahhh so happy you love!
Debbie says
Hi! My loaf is baking now and it smells delicious. QUESTION...grams of powdered sugar for frosting is 30gm....is this accurate? Seems like very little powdered sugar compared to any other frosting recipe I've made. Would love to know if this is accurate? I'm making it now, so I will probably add a bit more powdered sugar, yet I value your opinion. Thank you! Love your recipes and website!
Erin says
Hi! Yep that's the correct amount - I wanted a very cream cheese forward icing and then the maple means you don't need much. Make it first and see how you go before adding extra!
Debbie Moorhead says
Thank you. I added more powdered sugar before I saw your response. It’s a fantastic recipe. Next time I will try your frosting recommendations. This is definitely a make again recipe.
Erin says
Yay so happy you loved! 🙂
Michelle says
My daughter made this for my birthday a few days ago. It was delicious, so soft and light. Spices were lovely and the frosting is our new favourite 😍
Erin says
Yay so happy it went well! Happy Happy birthday x
Eva says
I made this for our family get together and it was absolutely delicious! I did swap the sugar for coconut sugar and I didn't have ground ginger. I used pumpkin spice instead which does have ground ginger. So while it wasn't followed exactly, it was absolutely delicious. You have converted me to a scale-using baker and am now so bothered when recipes do not list gram measurements. This is my new go-to carrot cake recipe! I never liked the busy nuts and fruit often found in carrot cake so this one is perfect!
Erin says
Yummmm! SO happy you love and even MORE happy to hear you're a convert to grams baking! It really is the best! x
Jaime says
I needed something quick and dairy free to take to a friends and this was perfect! It came together so quickly and made the entire house smell amazing. I finished it off with lemon glaze which was delicious.
I love all your recipes and they have never failed me. Thanks so much!
Erin says
Yay so happy you loved!
Allison says
Made this recipe today as muffins and it turned out great! It made 8 pretty big muffins, baked for 24-25 minutes, also used sunflower oil instead of olive oil. The carrot cake was super moist plus the frosting is perfection!
Suz says
This recipe was absolutely delicious! Probably my favorite carrot cake recipe to date. The cake itself was remarkably light and the frosting was perfectly balanced.
Erin says
Ah yayyyy so happy you enjoyed! I need to make it again - it keeps so so well too!
Deborah says
Hello, why do you have to add salt to this? Does it make a difference? Thanks!
Erin says
Hi! You have to add salt to the cake (and all other baked goods) to give the cake flavour. Salt helps cut through the sweetness. It makes a big difference - that is why I included it in the recipe 🙂
Hannah says
Doubled the recipe to make a 2 layer 9” cake and it was the hit of the party! Perfect carrot cake, not too moist and the maple syrup adds a nice flavor in the frosting. As always, great recipe Erin!
Erin says
Yummm! So so happy you loved! x
Mackenzie says
Omg this is delicious and not to mention super easy! I’m loving trying out all you’re recipes!!
Erin says
Yay so happy you loved!
Jan says
I love the exactness of cooking with scales! This loaf has a perfect texture and delicious flavour, even without adding the tempting topping. Definitely a winner which will be on “repeat” at my place.
Erin Clarkson says
I am so happy to hear this! It's such an easy recipe which is one of my favourites too! x
Cara says
This is delicious and easy to make, Erin, thanks for the recipe! My carrot cake loving co-worker, who is newly pregnant and throwing food restrictions to the wind, is going to faint tomorrow when I bring this in for her to nibble on. 😁
Libby says
Erin, you have a knack for getting the texture of things just right. This turned out moist without feeling sticky. I want to play with olive oils because I have a feeling the one I used was a bit too heavy and overpowered the subtler flavors of the cake. It didn't taste as out of the park amazing as the rest of your recipes do. So clearly experimentation is in order. The frosting on the other hand continues to be one of my all time favorites. Love the simplicity and ease of this cake and will definitely try it again.
Lee-Anne says
Husband is a self proclaimed carrot cake connoisseur and he told me that this is the recipe I should always make for him. Thank you!
Laura says
Beautifully moist loaf - a def crowd pleaser, perfect with a cup of tea.
Very straight forward recipe and ingredients you’ll generally have in your pantry.
Will certainly make this again.
Erin Clarkson says
Thank you so much for the lovely review - so happy you loved!
Sarah says
I feel funny asking this because everyone seemed to know the answer but how do I measure the oil? By weight? By measurement on a measuring cup? How much is it in cups?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! I don't provide cup measurements as they are not accurate. You measure the oil in weight same as you would the dry ingredients, so put your bowl on the scale, zero it, then add the oil to the weight in the recipe 🙂
Emily says
Cloudy kitchen is my first go to all to recipes. This loaf was perfect for Easter but I think carrot flavor should be year round. I did use whole wheat flour but it was still a hit. I’m sure it will have a slightly different texture/softer with regular flour. Super easy and well earned
Tamsin says
I can't believe how delicious this carrot cake loaf is. The star of the show is definitely the cream cheese icing - while often overly sweet, Erin has got the balance just perfect here - and I love how it forms such a thick layer on top. The whole recipe comes together quickly with minimal fuss - this is my new go-to carrot cake. Thanks Erin for blowing it out of the park again! 🙂
Emma says
I'm a big fan of carrot cake but never tried to bake one due to the fear of failing my favourite cake. However, I tried this one and it turned out even better than all the other carrot cakes I've ever eaten! Amazing recipe 🙂
Michaela says
Hi! Should I be squeezing some of the moisture out of my grated carrots before adding them to the mixture? Just a bit worried I’m going to make my cake soggy if I don’t. Thank you in advance! 🤗
Erin Clarkson says
Nope just pop them in there!
Michaela says
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I did just that and it came out perfectly.
I used dark brown sugar and think that was probably not the best option- I’ll use a light brown next time as the cake was a bit dark when it had baked.
Tastes amazing, though! Thank you for sharing this recipe. 🤗
Nicole says
Super quick and absolutely delicious! Kids aren’t fans of carrot cake, but I had a hankering and this was perfect! Cannot wait to have a slice with coffee in the morning. Thanks for another winner!
Oz says
I don't even like carrot cake but I trust all recipes on this site with my life, so I made this for a party last week! And it was so good! Topped it with a simple powdered sugar glaze and we were loving it
Giselle says
Such a delicious recipe, highly recommend for savoury sweet cake lovers!
Kate says
Such a great recipe, thank you!
Emily says
This is my go to carrot cake recipe now. Love it! Thank you so much
Artemis says
Absolutely delicious, especially the frosting! I reduced the sugar (for my Asian mother) and added walnuts 🤤 A repeat recipe for sure xx
Sneha Ved says
I made this using my mini loaves - some for a bring-a-plate but others for eating at home! Love this recipe as my easy go to!
Rebecca says
Like every single one of Erin’s recipes I’ve made to date, this is a real winner! This carrot cake loaf does it all! Love the olive oil base.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Whitney B says
Delicious! Made it exactly as written and it turned out perfect! The cream cheese frosting is a must!
Brittney says
This carrot loaf is so delicious and the frosting, oh my gosh, it’s so good! Love this and how easy it is to make. I think it’s better after sitting in the fridge overnight. Very happy with this recipe, thank you!!
Deb says
I made this for Easter. It was so easy to make and it came out great I followed the recipe exactly-just used a spatula to make the icing.
I will be making this again, probably for Mother’s Day!
Amanda says
Best carrot cake ever! I made the cake ahead of time and it was still so moist and delicious a day later.
Vanessa says
I made this exactly as written and it turned out so well! Loved loved having the metric measurements as I felt like it made the recipe so much more exact.
Also really loved the olive oil flavor in this, I love carrot cake and olive oil cakes so was excited to have the mixture of those found in this loaf.
Julia says
I've made this twice in the past two weeks it's so good! The icing just finishes it off perfectly. I can see this being a regular bake.
Sneha Ved says
Love this recipe. Thank you!
Sascha says
Just made this, and although the texture is good, it actually tasted a bit salty. I think this is because it calls for kosher salt, which already has a saltier taste than normal, and baking soda is salty too. It's not super noticeable so it's not bad, but if I made this again I'd reduce the kosher salt to like 1/2 tsp. I also made the cream cheese frosting and it's not as sweet as I'd personally prefer. Most other cream cheese frosting recipes use a higher sugar ratio so I think I'll stick with that.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Sorry it didn't work out for you - if you used a different kind of salt, some are more salty than others so that could have affected it!
Doc says
Two suggestions posed as questions as I have not yet made the baseline version of this:
1. Could we combine the eggs and oil and beat them together to make a mayonnaise which might also include some of the sugar to stiffen up the foam? The thought was that it might make the result have a slightly different texture.
2. Might we also use Neufchâtel in place of cream cheese and add some citric or malic acid to provide a really strong zing to the frosting?
This recipe hits a lot of my switches so it is going on the to-do list, right after the ice cream sandwiches.
You are the BEST!
Erin Clarkson says
I'm not sure sorry, I would try making it as written first and see how you go! I wouldn't add citric acid to frosting though if it were me
Sascha says
Do you guys not approve any reviews that are less than 5 stars? I've come back to make sure my review has been posted around 3 times now and it never is, so I keep trying to re-post it.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! No I've just been unwell so haven't gotten to comments in a while sorry so there's a big backlog!
Eilidh says
This has been my go to carrot cake recipe for years. The flavour and the texture of the sponge are great and the icing is perfect with just the right amount of sweetness. I was recently diagnosed with coeliac disease and have been trying to adapt some of my favourite recipes to be gluten free. I switched to gluten free plain flour (Doves Farm brand in the UK) and added a 1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum and it worked perfectly!
Bee Diep says
I've made a fair few carrot cakes in my time and I rate this one highly. I put walnuts in my cake and some orange flavoured olive oil (couldn't taste the orange) and it is delicious.
I'm fond of lemon in my cream cheese icing so I might swap the maple out next time, but I like the fact it's a less sweet and more cream cheesy frosting.
Daphne says
This recipe is amazing! I love carrot cake and this makes the perfect amount! Definitely recommend!
zoe hinchcliffe says
Just made this! How long does it last in the fridge/can I freeze it?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Yep you can freeze it without the icing!
Belinda Knott says
Made this for my husbands birthday at his request. So simple and so delicious.
Next time I will add some walnuts but probably the easiest carrot cake I have made, which I love with two small humans always helping. Also bonus is while they kept saying yuck as I was making it, they both can't stop eating it!
Mary says
I have been making different carrot cake recipes for decades, but this one is now my favorite. Delicious and moist, with wonderful spices. Highly recommend! I also made the frosting, which was also delicious, though I will add more confectioners sugar next time—just our family’s preference.
Beck says
Once again a Cloudy Kitchen recipe wins the day! This carrot cake is so quick to put together and basically foolproof! Love the ease of the olive oil base. The flavours are perfect! Thanks Erin!