Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Like carrot cake, but not as overly sweet as most grocery store carrot cakes!
Texture: Moist and tender with that luscious cream cheese frosting on top.
Ease: Very easy, especially if you use a food processor to grate the carrots.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Delicious spring recipe, perfect for Easter brunch or a sweet snack.
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Carrot Walnut Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting is everything you love about classic carrot cake, served in cozy, easily sliceable form.
This loaf is packed with warm spices, shredded carrots, and crunchy walnuts, all topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. Springtime perfection!
It’s simple, nostalgic, and just elevated enough to feel special. Even carrot haters love this loaf!
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A great option for Easter brunch, springtime parties, or just a homemade treat, this loaf delivers big carrot cake flavors with minimal effort.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Carrot Walnut Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
The Baking Pan
- I highly recommend using a light-colored metal loaf pan.
- Anything too dark in color will risk scorching the edges and drying out the loaf.
- Glass and ceramic loaf pans will take about 15 to 20 minutes longer to bake, and run the risk of the loaf collapsing and being underbaked or gummy in the middle. Learn more about Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans here.
Shred Your Own Carrots!
Avoid using pre-shredded packaged carrots. Freshly grated carrots add more flavor and moisture, making your Carrot Walnut Loaf beautifully tender and delicious.
If you have a food processor, the grating attachment makes shredding carrots super quick and easy, but a simple box grater works just fine too.
The Spices
Please note that fresh spices impart a lot more flavor. If your spices have been sitting in your pantry for years and no longer have a strong smell, they won’t impart enough flavor, and your loaf will be bland.
The Walnuts
I love the crunch that walnuts provide in this Carrot Loaf. If you prefer, you can toast and cool the nuts before adding them to the batter or garnishing the frosted loaf.
Not a fan of walnuts? You can swap them for pecans or skip the nuts entirely.
Can I Add Raisins?
I’m not a raisin fan but feel free to add a few tablespoons of raisins along with (or instead of) the walnuts.
How to Store Carrot Walnut Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
The frosted loaf can be left at room temperature for up to 8 hours (since the sugar in the cream cheese frosting acts as a preservative). After that, refrigerate inside an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
More Spring Recipes You’ll Love:
Carrot Walnut Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
For the loaf:
- 2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups (300 grams) freshly shredded carrots (about 6 to 7 medium carrots)
- 1/2 cup (85 grams) walnuts, roughly chopped
For the frosting:
- 8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
- 2 cups (250 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- Chopped walnuts, for garnish
Instructions
Make the loaf:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and eggs. Stir in the vanilla and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted comes out clean, about 65 to 75 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. At this point the loaf can be wrapped well and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Make the cream cheese frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on medium-high speed until very light, creamy, and smooth. On low speed gradually add in the sugar and beat until fluffy.
- Spread evenly over the loaf. Sprinkle with walnuts. Slice and serve.
Recipe Notes
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Can I substitute the vegetable oil for butter? I don’t really like using oil and if it can be substituted for butter than better. 😉 Thank you!
I haven’t tried!
I used coconut oil instead of oil in recipe and it is gorgeous
So happy you loved this recipe, Margaret!
This looks TO. DIE. FOR!! Mmmmm!
Uh oh! This looks dangerous
just baked this carrot loaf cake and made the cream cheese icing__Wow, the best recipe ever! Thank you for sharing.
I’m so happy to hear that!!
Hi Tessa! Can I use fresh ginger and omit the cloves? Because I have fresh ginger on hand and I don’t really like the taste of cloves. Thank you!
Of course!
I really want to make this but was wondering what all i would have to do to make it in a 10×13 pan for a large group of people that i would be feeding this too. I can’t wait to try it.
Hi Ginger! This recipe was specifically formulated to be a loaf, so I’m not sure how it would work in a pan that size. If you give it a shot, let us know how it goes!
I do this recipe in a round spring sided tin and it is perfect. My family can’t get enough and I love that it looks so perfect. Proud mum moment.
What temp and how long in round spring form pan?
I haven’t tried this in a springform pan, so I can’t say for sure, sorry!
Can this loaf cake be frozen with the frosting on it..I bake & sell a lot of loaf cakes at a craft show every year & because I have to start a month early I freeze them all. An’t wait to make this..carrot cake in a loaf pan..yummy
The loaf and the frosting can be frozen separately. The cream cheese frosting will need to be re-whipped once it’s defrosted.
Loaf…cake…loaf…cake. If I say loaf, it sounds less decadent. But oh my that looks gorgeous!
I like the way you think 😉
This is my FAVORITE kind of dessert, I happen to love carrot cake, ADORE walnuts, and that mountain of frosting doesn’t hurt either!
<3 <3
What a wonderful challenge! I love the idea! And this bread looks great, thanks.
Thank you!
I love the idea of carrot cake in loaf form. Beautiful, beautiful!
Thank you, Brenda!
This carrot walnut loaf is straight up luscious looking. Oh my goodness.
Thank you so much!