Description
A moist and flavorful Carrot Cake Loaf made with warm spices, shredded carrots, and optional walnuts, topped with a luscious orange cream cheese frosting. This quick bread is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack, combining the classic flavors of carrot cake in an easy-to-make loaf form.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½-2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅔ cup neutral vegetable oil
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated carrots (approx 4-6 small-medium size carrots)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
For the Orange Cream Cheese Icing/Frosting
- 200g (7 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup icing sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 small orange or 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional but recommended)
- A couple tablespoons of chopped walnuts for sprinkling over frosting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and line a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, and optional nutmeg until well combined.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Stir the wet ingredients into the dry flour mixture gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined; a few streaks of flour remaining is okay to avoid overmixing.
- Add Carrots and Walnuts: Fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts (if using) evenly throughout the batter without overmixing to maintain a light texture.
- Bake the Loaf: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, and bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cover loosely with aluminum foil halfway through baking if the top is browning too quickly.
- Cool the Loaf: Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
- Prepare the Icing: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the icing sugar little by little, beating until fully combined. Mix in the vanilla extract and orange zest if using.
- Frost the Loaf: Spread the orange cream cheese icing evenly over the cooled loaf. Optionally, sprinkle chopped walnuts on top for garnish.
- Storage: Store unfrosted bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for 3-4 days, or refrigerate for up to 7 days. Frosted bread should be covered and refrigerated for up to one week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: The loaf freezes best without frosting. Freeze the baked and completely cooled loaf for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil before freezing.
- Thaw frozen loaf overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.
- Cover the loaf loosely with foil halfway through baking if the top begins to brown excessively.
- Walnuts can be omitted or substituted with other nuts based on preference or allergies.
