Description
Homemade classic carrot cake loaf brings comfort from grandma’s kitchen with warm spices and moist crumb. Sweet cream cheese frosting completes this nostalgic dessert you’ll want to share with friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (720 mL / 24 fl oz) grated carrots
- 2 cups (480 mL / 16 fl oz) flour
- 2 cups (400 g / 14 oz) sugar
- 1 ½ cups (360 mL / 12 fl oz) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240 mL / 8 fl oz) chopped nuts
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 2 tsps baking soda
- 2 tsps cinnamon
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (113 g / 4 oz) butter, softened
- 3 ½ cups (420 g / 15 oz) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Preparation: Set oven to 350°F (175°C), positioning the rack in the center for consistent heat distribution.
- Wet Ingredient Fusion: Whisk vegetable oil and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly blended, creating a smooth base.
- Egg Integration: Blend beaten eggs into the sugar mixture, stirring until achieving a uniform, silky consistency.
- Dry Ingredient Combination: Sift together flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder in a separate bowl to eliminate potential lumps.
- Batter Formation: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, mixing carefully to maintain a smooth texture without overmixing.
- Ingredient Incorporation: Fold in freshly grated carrots and chopped nuts, ensuring even distribution throughout the batter.
- Pan Preparation: Thoroughly grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans with butter or cooking spray, creating a non-stick surface.
- Baking Process: Pour batter evenly into prepared pans, filling approximately two-thirds full, and place in preheated oven.
- Cooking and Monitoring: Bake for 50-55 minutes, rotating pans midway through to ensure uniform browning and even cooking.
- Doneness Verification: Check cake’s readiness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should emerge clean without raw batter.
- Cooling Stage: Allow cakes to rest in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Frosting Creation: Use an electric mixer to blend confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Cake Finishing: Once completely cooled, generously spread cream cheese frosting across the top of each loaf.
- Final Touch: Optionally garnish with additional chopped nuts or a light sprinkle of ground cinnamon for enhanced presentation.
Notes
- Measure Precisely: Use exact measurements for consistent texture and flavor, avoiding ingredient variations.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring eggs and dairy to room temperature for smoother mixing and better cake structure.
- Prevent Overmixing: Gently fold dry ingredients to maintain cake’s tenderness and avoid developing tough gluten.
- Check Moisture Level: Freshly grated carrots should be moist but not wet to prevent soggy cake texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 63 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg