This Single Layer cozy Carrot Bundt Cake is perfectly spiced, extra soft, and topped with a rich brown sugar cream cheese frosting that adds a hint of caramel flavor. It's going to be your cake year-round!
I know carrot cake is often thought of as a spring dessert, especially around Easter, but I always find myself craving it in the fall. With all those warm, cozy spices baked right in, it feels just as perfect for crisp autumn days. My version keeps things simple: a moist one-layer bundt cake topped with a rich brown sugar cream cheese frosting that is adapted from my Chai Cake recipe.
Tender, moist, and packed with flavor, this carrot bundt cake is as customizable as it is delicious! Play with the spice levels and finish it with your favorite frosting. This cake feels as cozy as my Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake and Frosted Pumpkin Bread.
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♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Moist & tender - freshly grated carrots keep the cake soft without being heavy.
Cozy spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger bring warmth in every bite (and you can adjust to taste). Love Cinnamon? Try this Sock it to Me Cake
Simple but stunning - baking it in a bundt pan makes it look impressive with hardly any extra effort.
Brown sugar cream cheese frosting - creamy, tangy, and with a subtle caramel note that makes it extra special. This frosting is a MUST try.
Customizable - add nuts, raisins, or keep it plain; play with spice levels and frosting options to make it your own.
Perfect for any season - though it's a spring classic, the warm flavors make it just as fitting for fall and the holidays.
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Carrot Cake
Carrots: Make sure to use fresh carrots and not pre-shredded. The pre-shredded carrots you buy in a bag are dry and don't have any moisture in them.
Spices: I like using tons of cinnamon in my carrot cake, along with ginger, nutmeg and cloves. You can also use allspice!
Sugars: When making cakes with spices, I like adding more brown sugar than granulated sugar. Dark or light brown sugar will work.
Oil: Use any type of neutral oil you have. I use vegetable oil or light olive oil. Sunflower and avocado oil also work.
Applesauce: Make sure it's unsweetened. If you don't have any applesauce, use sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Brown sugar: I like using dark brown sugar, but feel free to use light brown sugar as well.
Cream cheese: Cold full fat cream cheese used for the frosting.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Bundt Pan: You'll need a 10-12 cup bundt pan.
Baker's Joy: The best way to keep my Bundt cakes from sticking is using this cake release spray.
✨ Variations
Mix-ins - Add pecans, walnuts, or raisins directly to the batter for extra crunch and texture.
Crushed pineapples - Drain the liquid from the pineapple and add it directly to the batter.
Frosting - Switch up the frosting and make a cinnamon cream cheese frosting from my Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake recipe.
Maple Glaze - Don't like frosting? Try this maple glaze from my Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
Peel and grate your carrots using a box grater or grate blade/disc on your food processor.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and whisk until fully combined. Set aside.
Step 3
In a large bowl, combine dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, neutral oil, and unsweetened applesauce and whisk until fully combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until all is incorporated.
Step 4
Then, add in the grated carrots and mix well.
Step 5
Lastly, sift in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Don't over mix. Just enough until you no longer see streaks of flour.
💡 Hint: Prepare your 10-12 cup bundt pan by spraying it heavily with baking spray. Make sure to get every single nook and cranny so that the cake doesn't stick. My favorite method is to spray using a baking spray like Baker's Joy. This is the method that works 100% of the time for me.
Step 6
Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before flipping onto a serving plate. Let cool completely before frosting.
Step 7
Combine cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar and beat or whisk on high speed for 5 minutes until completely smooth. Add salt and vanilla extract, then mix to combine, then add the powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time beat/whisk on high speed for about 2 to 3 minutes until completely incorporated and smooth, making sure to scrape down the bowl frequently. Lastly, add the spices, then mix again for another 30 seconds.
Once cake is cooled, top with frosting and chopped nuts, if desired.
💬 FAQ
The number one reason cakes stick to bundt pans is that the pan was not greased enough. I know a lot of people swear by buttering and flouring the pans, but I have never had success using that. I highly recommend using a baking spray like Baker's Joy. The cakes come out in one piece.
No, pre-shredded carrots don't have any moisture, so make sure to use fresh carrots and grate them yourself.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Grease Bundt Pan - It's so important to make sure your bundt pan is heavily greased when making bundt recipes because they tend to stick. To avoid a cake from sticking, grease every single nook and cranny of the pan. I HIGHLY recommend the Baker's Joy cooking spray because I have had success 100% of the time using it.
Fresh carrots - Make sure to use fresh carrots and not pre-shredded carrots!
Don't over mix - Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing.
Don't over bake - Start checking the bundt cake at 40 minutes by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean, remove them from the oven. Depending on your oven, it could take longer.
Cool cake - Before inverting the cake onto a cooling rack, make sure the cake cools down for at least 15 minutes.
Cold cream cheese - Unlike the other ingredients, make sure your cream cheese is cold, right out of the fridge. This helps prevent the frosting from being too soft.
❄ Storage
Unfrosted - You can store the cake at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Frosted - Make sure to store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days.
📖 Recipe Card
Carrot Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 1 10-12 Cup Bundt pan
Ingredients
Carrot Bundt Cake
- 2 cups (256 g) carrots peeled, grated (about 3 or 4 carrots)
- 2¼ cup (270 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 1¼ cup (250 g) dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup neutral oil vegetable, avocado, or light olive oil
- ⅓ cup (86 g) unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz. full fat cream cheese cold, straight out of the fridge
- 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar packed
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cup (180 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
Carrot Bundt Cake
- Pre-heat the oven to 350℉
- Prep the pan: Prepare your 10-12 cup bundt pan by spraying it heavily with baking spray. Make sure to get every single nook and cranny so that the cake doesn't stick. My favorite method is to spray using a baking spray like Baker's Joy. This is the method that works 100% of the time for me.
- Peel and grate your carrots using a box grater or grate blade/disc on your food processor.2 cups carrots
- In a medium bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and whisk until fully combined. Set aside.2¼ cup all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cloves
- In a large bowl, combine dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, neutral oil, and unsweetened applesauce and whisk until fully combined.1¼ cup dark brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup neutral oil, ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until all is incorporated. Then, add in the grated carrots and mix well.2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 4 large eggs
- Lastly, sift in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Don't over mix. Just enough until you no longer see streaks of flour.
- Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before flipping onto a serving plate. Let cool completely before frosting.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment (you can use a hand mixer too), combine cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar and beat or whisk on high speed for 5 minutes until completely smooth (make sure to scrape down the bowl frequently).6 oz. full fat cream cheese, 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ cup dark brown sugar
- Add salt and vanilla extract, then mix to combine, then add the powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time beat/whisk on high speed for about 2 to 3 minutes until completely incorporated and smooth, making sure to scrape down the bowl frequently. Lastly, add the spices, then mix again for another 30 seconds.½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ cup powdered sugar
- Once cake is cooled, top with frosting and chopped nuts, if desired.
- Store frosted cake in the refrigerated. Unfrosted can be stored at room temperature.
I made this cake today and , it turned out amazing. Perfect with a cup of tea. Thank you for sharing.