Incredibly Moist Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Topped with an elegant, homemade cream cheese frosting, this moist Carrot Bundt Cake recipe is filled with freshly grated carrots, sweetness and warm cinnamon spice. It's the perfect choice for your next springtime or fall gathering, or simply when you want to treat yourself to a rich, flavorful, super moist cake that's fairly easy to make, despite its bakery style charm.

🥕The Carrot Cake That Finally Won My Family Over

It took a minute to win my family over with this delicious, dreamy carrot cake. You see, we had to have a serious discussion about the roles of vegetables and how they don't belong in cakes.

Just like with Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread and Carrot Bread, it turned out that one bite was all the convincing they needed. That's because this flavorful carrot bundt cake with cream cheese frosting is surprisingly sweet, perfectly creamy and incredibly delicious.

🤫The Secret to the Perfect Carrot Bundt Cake Texture

There are a few secrets to this cake's success. Finely grated, freshly shredded carrots provide a ton of moisture, making the cake's texture incredibly pleasing. Baking the cake in a Bundt/tube pan also helps to make it dense and moist. Add to that the use of vegetable oil rather than butter, which ensures a luxuriously tender crumb that stays soft for days. Paired with the molasses in the brown sugar, you get a beautifully rich cake that never dries out.

🥣You Can't Skip the Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

Then, of course, there's the homemade cream cheese frosting. It's unheard of to enjoy a carrot cake without it! Made with real butter, pure vanilla extract, and classic cream cheese, this recipe whips up in just minutes. Super creamy, rich and tangy, the smooth cream cheese frosting literally is the icing on the cake!

🥘Basic Ingredients Needed For This Carrot Bundt Cake Recipe

For the carrot cake:

• flour- spoon this into a measuring cup and gently level off for best results
• white & brown sugar- a combination of these two makes for a rich, sweet flavorful cake
• cinnamon- warm spice that accentuates the carrot's sweetness
• baking soda, baking powder, and salt- leavening agents
• eggs- there are 4 in this recipe to create a very moist cake, along with the shredded carrots; use them at room temperature for easy mixing
• vegetable oil- for further moistness and flavor
• freshly shredded carrots- shred them yourself and resist the temptation to buy pre-shredded, which are too dry for a cake

For the cream cheese frosting:

• cream cheese- I use full fat Philadelphia brand
• butter- added richness and cream
• vanilla extract- for flavoring; do not use imitation extract, which is too sweet
• confectioner's sugar- provides substance and sweetness

See recipe card for quantities.

🔪How To Make This Carrot Bundt Cake Recipe

1. Step 1: Mix dry ingredients in large bowl; add room temperature eggs, oil, and shredded carrots; use a hand mixer to incorporate.

2. Step 2: Add batter to prepared Bundt pan; bake.

3. Step 3: Allow to cool for 20 minutes, then invert.

4. Step 4: Make frosting and decorate the cooled cake.

Cake hint: Finely shred the carrots for a smoother cake.

Frosting hint: Make sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature before mixing. You can always soften them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds if needed.

🌿Healthy Ingredient Substitutions

• Unsweetened Applesauce for Oil - Swap half of the vegetable oil (¾ cup) with unsweetened applesauce. This is a classic baking hack that significantly cuts down on fat and calories while locking in that signature, velvety moisture every carrot cake needs.
• White Whole Wheat Flour for All-Purpose - Substitute half of the all-purpose flour (1 cup) with white whole wheat flour. This adds a fantastic boost of whole grains and fiber without weighing down the dense, bakery-style crumb of your Bundt cake.
• Coconut Sugar for White Sugar - Replace the 1 cup of granulated white sugar with an equal amount of coconut sugar. It's less processed and adds a wonderful caramel-like depth of flavor that pairs beautifully with the warm cinnamon and brown sugar.

🥕Carrot Bundt Cake Recipe Additions

• Pineapple - Drain a small can of crushed pineapple and add it to the cake batter. The cake will be sweeter and more moist. You may need to add a few additional minutes on to the baking time.
• Raisins - Golden raisins are the best choice for their smaller size and color, which blends well with the cake batter. Add ½ cup to the cake; you may also decorate the top of the frosted cake with these.
• Walnuts or pecans - Either nut, ½ cup chopped or crushed, works well in the cake or as a frosting topper for added crunch and flavor.

🍽Essential Equipment Needed

• large & medium mixing bowls
• measuring cups & measuring spoons
• hand mixer - This is my go-to: Hamilton Beach 6-speed (affiliate link)
• rubber scraping spatula
• box grater
• one part Bundt pan - I recommend and use this Wilton Nonstick Fluted Tube Pan (affiliate link)
• wire cooling rack
• long cake tester
• cake saver (optional, but handy for storage)

🍶Storing Carrot Bundt Cake

Because of the cream cheese frosting, Carrot Bundt Cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator. I find it helpful to use a cake saver. The cake will keep for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze the cake. Unfrosted cake can be frozen in proper freezer safe packaging (either whole or individual slices) for up to 2 months.

Frosted cake needs to freeze on a sheet pan first to set the frosting. Then wrap individual slices or the whole cake in freezer safe packaging and store for up to 1 month.

🗨️Carrot Bundt Cake Recipe FAQ

🥄More From Scratch Baking Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

🍴Weeknight Dinner Pairings

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Carrot Bundt Cake recipe:

📋Recipe with step-by-step instructions

The Best Moist Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Kitchen Ready Betty

Enjoy the ultimate moist carrot bundt cake, packed with freshly grated carrots and warm spices for a perfectly tender crumb. It is generously topped with a rich, from-scratch cream cheese frosting that makes this bakery-style dessert completely irresistible.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Rest Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Desserts

Servings 12

Calories 512 kcal

Equipment

• large mixing bowl
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• sturdy mixing spoon
• hand mixer
• scraping spatula
• box grater
• one part Bundt pan, 12 cup capacity (well greased)
• wire cooling rack
• medium mixing bowl
• cake saver
• long cake tester

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products I truly love and use in my own kitchen!

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the carrot cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour spoon into a measuring cup and level for best results
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• pinch of baking powder
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 1 & ½ cups vegetable oil
• 3 cups freshly grated carrots finely shredded for best results

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 4 oz. softened cream cheese I use full fat Philadelphia brand
• 2 tablespoon softened butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ lb confectioner's sugar this is almost 2 cups
• pinch of salt

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350℉.

Carrot Cake:

• Combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition with a hand mixer on low speed. 
• Add the oil and finely shredded carrots. Mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Use a rubber scraping spatula intermittently to scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing.
• Bake in a well greased Bundt/tube pan on the middle oven rack for 70-75 minutes, or until long cake tester comes out clean.
• Invert pan after 20 minutes and allow cake to completely cool on wire rack before adding frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Cream softened butter and room temperature cream cheese with hand mixer on low speed for 1-2 minutes.
• Add vanilla and mix until blended.
• Using the hand mixer, gradually work in confectioner's sugar until frosting is the right consistency for spreading. Then add a pinch of salt and stir.
• Spread frosting on cooled cake. Decorate with sprinkles, raisins, shredded carrots or coconut, pecans and/or walnuts if desired.

Storing:

• Store in a cake saver and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.
• Unfrosted cake can be frozen in proper freezer safe packaging (either whole or individual slices) for up to 2 months.
• Frosted cake needs to freeze on a sheet pan first to set the frosting. Then wrap individual slices or the whole cake in freezer safe packaging and store for up to 1 month.

Notes

Finely shred the carrots for a smoother cake.

The cake batter will be very dense. Check on it periodically towards the end of baking time. Use a long cake tester to make sure the entire cake has baked before removing it from the oven.

It's helpful to slide a non-scratch knife around the outside of the cake before inverting.

When making the frosting, make sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature before mixing. You can always soften them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds if needed.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 512kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 6gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 273mgPotassium: 196mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 5489IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg

Keyword bundt cake carrot cake, bundt carrot cake, carrot bundt cake, carrot bundt cake recipe, carrot bundt cake with cream cheese frosting, carrot cake bundt, carrot cake bundt cake, carrot cake bundt cake recipe, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, cream cheese frosting, easy carrot bundt cake, from scratch carrot cake, homemade carrot cake, moist carrot bundt cake

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

_{Please note that nutritional information is provided by a third party service and is intended for guidance purposes only. KitchenReadyBetty.com makes no claims to its accuracy.}