Carrot Bundt Cake With The Best Cream Cheese Frosting
Founder / Chef / Everyone’s Best Friend
Andy Hay
Welcome to my kitchen. I hope to inspire you to grow as a home cook!
We can all agree a properly made carrot cake is a beautiful thing. This carrot bundt cake recipe is moist, fluffy, packed with warm spices, topped with toasted pecans, and finished with an ultra creamy, light glaze. If you’re into that kind of stuff… let’s get baking.
This easy carrot cake recipe looks like it’s for a big occasion. But it’s really just a smart pan choice, good mixing, and letting the oven do its job.
Ingredients:
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded carrot
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
Icing Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese room temp
- 1/4 cup butter room temp
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 -2 tbsp milk
- toasted pecans Optional
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: vegetable oil, eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla extract, and shredded carrot.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and fold together with a spatula until no dry streaks remain.
- Spray a bundt cake pan generously and pour in the batter. Tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles.
- Bake for 60–70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs).
- Let the cake cool slightly, then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the icing: beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with a hand mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar and salt, then add milk a little at a time until you reach a pourable glaze consistency.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled cake (a measuring cup helps). Finish with toasted pecans if using.
- Don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment!
Why Use A Bundt Pan For Carrot Cake?
If you’ve never baked with a bundt pan, it can feel a little… dramatic. Why is there a hole in my cake? Why does it look like it should be wearing shoulder pads and dancing to disco?
Here’s the real reason: the centre tube adds more surface area. This helps heat move through the cake more evenly. So you’re less likely to get a perfect outside and a suspicious middle.
Bottom line: a Bundt is basically the “even bake insurance policy” of cake pans.
The Flavor Plan: Warm Spices, Real Moisture, No Dry Cake
When people say they want a great carrot cake recipe, what they really mean is:
- strong flavor
- tender texture
- proper moisture
- and absolutely no dry, crumbly sadness
This cake gets there with a simple but powerful lineup: grated carrots, unsweetened applesauce, vegetable oil, and a mix of classic spices like ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. (Yes, some folks add cloves—you can, but this cake doesn’t need it.)
A quick note on the “extra add-ins” debate: lots of carrot cake recipes toss in fresh pineapple or even canned pineapple for added moisture. That’s not this recipe, but if you’ve had that style before, that’s why it tastes extra fruity and dense.
A Quick Tools Checklist That Makes Life Easier
You don’t need fancy gear to make this carrot bundt cake, but a few basics help:
- a large mixing bowl
- a whisk for the dry ingredients
- a spatula for folding (less overmixing)
- a hand mixer for the icing
- a skewer to test doneness
- a wire rack for cooling
- and a measuring cup for that perfect pour-over glaze moment
This is also where I remind you: use a prepared bundt pan. Spray it well. Be generous. Nobody wants to perform cake surgery with a knife because they skimped on spray.
How To Make Carrot Cake Batter Without Overthinking It
Here’s the simple method that keeps the crumb on this carrot bundt cake light:
- Mix your dry ingredients together first—flour, leaveners (baking powder and baking soda), spices, and salt.
- Mix your wet ingredients separately—oil, eggs, sugars (hello brown sugar), applesauce, and vanilla extract.
- Combine wet into dry and fold until you don’t see dry pockets of powder.
The goal is “just combined.” Overmix and you can lose that soft, fluffy vibe.
And don’t skip tapping the pan on the counter—getting rid of air bubbles helps the cake bake evenly and keeps the top of the cake from turning into a lunar landscape.
Cream Cheese Glaze Vs Cream Cheese Frosting
I know I said cream cheese frosting—and that’s the vibe. But the way this one is built is more of a pourable glaze: creamy, tangy, and light enough to cascade down the ridges.
The biggest tip: make sure your cream cheese and butter are truly room temperature. That’s how you avoid lumps and get a smooth finish.
And please—use brick-style cream cheese, not the spreadable kind from tubs. The spreadable stuff tends to be softer and can make your glaze looser than you want.
If your glaze is too thick, add a touch more milk until it pours nicely. If it’s too thin, chill it in the fridge for a few minutes and it’ll tighten up.
Pro move: pour it from a liquid measuring cup so you can control the flow and get that perfect drip.
Nuts And Raisins: The Debate Of The Century
Should nuts go in carrot bundt cake? Absolutely. I love the crunch.
Should raisins go in carrot cake? Listen… families have been torn apart over this. My humble opinion remains: raisins belong in someone else’s dessert.
In this cake, I like toasted pecans on top. If you’re a walnut household, walnuts work too. Either way, toast them first—more flavor, better texture, and a little extra “bakery” energy.
Bake Time Reality Check
A standard pan carrot cake might bake in 45-50 minutes. A bundt is thicker and taller, so it usually needs more time—think 60–70 minutes.
Trust the skewer test: when a skewer comes out clean (or with a couple of moist crumbs), you’re good. If it comes out looking like carrot cake batter, it’s not done.
Let the cake cool before turning it out. Then cool it again before glazing. Patience is part of the deal.
Storage And Leftovers
- Store covered in an airtight container in the fridge once glazed.
- If you want a slice warm, a few seconds in the microwave is fair game (just don’t melt the glaze into oblivion).
This cake is also a sneaky good “make-ahead” dessert: bake the day before, glaze the day-of.
Want Another Carrot Cake Option?
If you love the flavor but want something grab-and-go, check out the carrot cake muffins from Creme de la Crumb. Same cozy spice vibe, different format (and great for snacky people).
Carrot Bundt Cake FAQ‘s
Why Is My Bundt Cake Sticking?
Usually it’s the pan prep. Spray well, get into the grooves, and let it cool slightly before turning out.
Can I Swap The Oil?
Yes—avocado oil works as a clean swap for vegetable oil without changing the texture much.
Can I Add Pineapple Or Raisins?
You can, but that becomes a different cake. Pineapple (especially canned pineapple) adds moisture and sweetness; raisins add… raisins.
How Do I Know When It’s Done?
Skewer test. Also, the cake should spring back lightly when you press it.
Can I Make The Glaze Ahead?
Yes. Keep it in the fridge and stir before using. If it thickens too much, add a splash of milk.
Final Thoughts
This carrot bundt cake recipe is the kind of bake that looks fancy, tastes like a classic, and doesn’t require a culinary degree to pull off. Nail the pan prep, don’t overmix, trust the skewer, and pour that cream cheese glaze like you mean it. Make it once and it’ll be in your “go-to celebration” rotation forever—especially for spring weekends and mother’s day.
Other Recipes You Will Love!
Blueberry Lemon Dutch Baby
Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Oatcakes
DIY Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino
Andy Hay
Andy is the founder of ECK, Chef, and let’s admit it… the reason you’re here. He taught himself to cook, and it all paid off when he secured his spot in the season 5 Finale of Master Chef Canada. Now, Andy uses his big energy to showcase recipes that actually make people want to cook. His brand was built on butter and East Coast charm, and Andy’s kept that same energy ever since. Off-camera, you’ll find him doing what started it all: cooking for his two daughters, wife and the people he loves.
Similar recipes
Rate & leave a comment
11 Comments
— End of comments —
— No more comments to load —
Love this Bundt cake. I have made many different recipes for Carrot Bundt Cake and this one is my favorite.
So glad to hear it, Mary!
Made this for Easter dinner dessert. Our household loves carrot cake and we are constantly searching for the perfect recipe. Search no more!! Moist, easy, and came out of the pan with ease! It is very more-ish.
Nothing like good carrot cake is there? Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
Made today – recipe so easy to follow – I also candied my pecans for a little extra sweetness – absolutely delicious !!! 😋 Thank you
Love the candied version! Sounds great!
Just had a carrot cake for July 4th – my birthday! Still a bit in the fridge. This may be the next recipe to try. I like to add the nuts, along with some coconut (toasted) on top. Even had some with pineapple once. Never met a carrot cake that I didn’t love.
Great recipe! I made it for Easter lunch and it was a huge hit with the family.
Happy (belated) birthday! Love the idea of toasted coconut on top, and pineapple is such a fun twist! Let me know if you give this version a try, Erica!
Hello Andy,
Your recipes are wonderful to read and I will soon be trying them in my kitchen.
I had to laugh reading your description of 1970’s Bundt cake pan use. Right here! Front of the line. Only recently did I learn the original real value of the Bundt pan style. Cooked cake is always better that a gooey battery second bite.
Sometime you might enjoy trying mace instead of nutmeg. As for raisons, lol, not only raisons galore, but rehydrated white raisons. Your icing is about the same as mine. Try a tiny amount of grated lemon rind. Very tiny. Just a subtle pleasantry.
Best wishes,
CS
Thanks so much for this lovely note—I’m grinning over the Bundt pan nostalgia! Appreciate your thoughtful tips—happy baking!