This Carrot Cake Loaf recipe makes mini carrot cake loaves with a baked on cream cheese topping. These are so good and perfect for sharing with family and friends!
I love carrot cake. Yes it can be hit or miss, but for the most part as long as raisins (and pineapple) are out of the picture, I’ll gobble it up at any given chance!
Since Easter is just around the corner I thought I’d make myself some little loaves to snack on over the next few days.
Instead of topping them with a fresh cream cheese frosting, I opted for a cheesecake-like batter that would go on top prior to baking. I’m not a big frosting fan (I find it a little too sweet, especially for breads) but I love the texture of cheesecake, so it turned out to be a really good last minute decision!
They baked evenly and the topping was perfectly set. I couldn’t resist grabbing one and munching on it while I finished cleaning up the kitchen!
Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup oil
- 2 Tbsp applesauce
- 1 cup grated carrots**
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup walnuts - finely chopped (optional)
Cream Cheese Topping
- 8 oz (1 block) original cream cheese - room temperature
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Spray and flour an 8-well mini loaf pan or a standard loaf pan. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugars, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. With the mixing speed on low, beat one egg at a time. Add the grated carrot and mix until just combined.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chopped walnuts. With the mixing speed on low, slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl (using a hand mixer or a sturdy spatula), beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg, salt, and vanilla bean paste until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Pour the carrot cake batter into the prepared loaf pan, then top with the cream cheese mixture, making sure to spread it evenly across the batter. Place in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes (or about 1 hour for a loaf). The cream cheese should be lightly browned on top—and yes, it will crack! Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes (longer for a large loaf). Remove from the pan and allow to cool for 15 more minutes before serving.
These look wonderful! I love the baked cream cheese tops. I love love love carrot cake too – one of my favorite cakes 🙂
I’m the same, I don’t like raisins or pineapple in my carrot cake, but otherwise love it! This looks great and I’m loving the baked in cream cheese! 😀
AMAZING!!
yummy! those look delicious!
I agree, I prefer my carrot cake to be moist and without fillings…but add cream cheese and it’s a win-win! 😀 I can’t wait to try this!