The Most Memorable Carrot Bundt Cake (Spoiler Alert: It’s Delicious!)
I hope you feel inspired to make this cake and enjoy it on any regular old day. Invite a friend, sip some tea, and let this be the reason to add something special into your routine!
When I think of carrot cake, I picture myself as a little girl going out to eat with my family to a hometown cafe where inside the dessert bar table I look through the glass and see all the pretty cakes and pre-cut pieces waiting to be ordered. Growing up I was never a big fan of carrot cake because every piece I had tried included raisins and big chunks of shredded carrot in it. I guess I wasn’t a big fan of raisins added into things back then, and raisins inside a chunky carrot cake really didn’t appeal to me. Regardless, it took me until my early adult life to actually take a liking to carrot cake, thanks to my sweet sister-in-law Jacy.
This cake has always been my husband’s most requested birthday cake. His sister Jacy made it for him growing up, and when I tried hers for the first time I was hooked! I loved the simplicity of it, and I especially loved that it didn’t have raisins and walnuts in it. Its like she knew me! Come to find out, she doesn’t like those ingredients either in her carrot cake. This cake was probably one of the first of many things we bonded over. She happily shared her recipe with me many years ago and I took over his birthday cake baking duties. Since then, I’ve adapted it to a bundt cake pan and cut my decorating time in half. Yay for the beauty of bundt pans!
The biggest thing I learned from her with this cake is the grating of the carrots. She discovered that the smaller you grate the carrot, the less of a texture issue you have with the finished baked product. So for others like myself, I was delighted to discover that I didn’t have to eat a chunky carrot cake anymore! (Unless you like the chunks, more power to you!) And after making this cake so many times now, grating the carrots smaller really does the trick. I hand grate, so depending on the type of hand grater you have, its typically the other side of the greater I use for the carrots. There’s the bigger, I’d say “regular” style of shred for things like cheddar cheese, and then there’s the smaller side on the other half of the grater for things like finely shredded parmesan. I use that side and it truly makes a difference. You could also use a food processor if you have one.
I actually haven’t made this cake in a while, and I am starting to wonder why! It is so straightforward and it comes out the same way for me every time. This cake is just one of those recipes that I can always lean on to turn out well and put a smile on the faces that eat it. When I made this cake for this post the other day, and I looked at the finished product, I felt happy. It made me want to invite some friends over to sit down and have a cup of tea while we ate our cake outside, enjoying the springtime air. So with that, I hope you feel inspired to take this recipe, make this cake, and enjoy it on any regular old day. Invite a friend, sip some tea, and eat some cake! Let this be the reason to add something special to your routine!
Why You’ll Love This Carrot Cake:
Uses applesauce instead of oil
The bundt pan creates an effortlessly beautiful cake
You have the option to add raisins and walnuts if you prefer them
Ingredients:
Dry
How to Make This Carrot Bundt Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
2. In a smaller bowl, add eggs. Whisk until combined. Add shredded carrots and applesauce to eggs. Mix until combined.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients bowl.
4. Mix until combined.
5. Heavily grease bundt cake pan with oil and sprinkle flour onto the pan to help prevent sticking.
6. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour, or until knife comes out clean.
7. Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes, then remove cake from pan. You may have to gently loosen up the sides for your cake to slide out easily.
8. Allow cake to continue cooling for at least one hour before frosting.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Using an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter on medium speed for 1 minute or until smooth with no lumps remaining. Add vanilla extract and salt, continue mixing until combined.
2. Lower speed and gradually add in powdered sugar. Be careful to not add too much at once. Mix until powdered sugar is well combined. If frosting is too thick, add in a teaspoon or two of water. If it is too thin, add in more powdered sugar.
3. I add my frosting to a gallon ziplock bag and cut off a corner to allow for easy icing.
4. Frost cake to your preference, and most importantly, ENJOY !
FAQS
How long do you cook a carrot cake in a bundt pan?
Approximately 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in a pan for 10 minutes and then carefully turn it out on a rack to cool completely before frosting.
How is bundt cake different from regular cake?
Primarily because of the shape of the pan. The pans are very distinct, with a fluted, ring shape that results in a unique one-layer design. Sometimes the baking process and texture can differ too.
How do you keep carrot cake from sticking to a bundt pan?
Let’s be honest, its really hard! I still struggle. I swear half my bakes come out great and the other half stick. I try to generously grease the pan before putting batter in it. The most success I’ve had is when I heavily grease the pan with softened butter and then sprinkling the base with flour. I would also try the PAM baking spray which includes flour as a component that helps with sticking.
Carrot Bundt Cake
Fresh, sweet carrots and applesauce give this cake its springy flavor with lots of moisture. While the cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness with the tang from the cream cheese. Its such a tasty combination!
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cups finely shredded carrots
- 1 cup applesauce
- 4 eggs
Icing
- 8 oz brick cream cheese, room temp.
- 1/2 stick butter, room temp. (salted or unsalted)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (or to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- In a smaller bowl, add eggs. Whisk until combined.
- Add shredded carrots and applesauce to eggs. Mix until combined.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients bowl and mix until combined.
- Heavily grease bundt cake pan with oil and sprinkle with flour.
- Pour batter into pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour, or until knife comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Gently remove cake from pan and continue to cool for at least one hour.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter on medium speed for 1 minute or until smooth with no lumps remaining.
- Add vanilla extract and salt, continue mixing until combined.
- Lower speed and gradually add in powdered sugar. Be careful to not add too much at once.
- Mix until powdered sugar is well combined.
- If frosting is too thick, add in a teaspoon or two of water. If it is too thin, add in more powdered sugar.
- Frost the cake to your preference! I like to add frosting to a plastic bag and cut the tip to squeeze the frosting out into a pretty design.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 389Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 249mgCarbohydrates: 65gSugar: 47gProtein: 5g
