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Glazed carrot bundt cake slice being lifted from whole cake. White background.
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Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

A simple carrot cake with a sweet glaze, walnuts and cream cheese icing. It's straightforward to make, keeps well for a few days and can be frozen. We especially love it for Easter, Mother's Day and Spring brunches.
Course Cakes, Desserts
Cuisine American
Keyword carrot bundt cake, carrot walnut cake
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 10 slices
Author Paula Montenegro

Ingredients

Carrot cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch of ground nutmeg optional
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups sunflower oil
  • 2 cups grated carrots
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts optional. I like them for crunch and moistness.

Cream cheese glaze:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons regular cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 or 2 teaspoons cream or milk to thin if necessary
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C). Grease a 10 or 12-cup bundt cake pan with soft shortening and lightly flour it, shaking off excess. Or use baking spray that has flour in it.
  • Sift 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, pinch of ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt. Reserve.
  • Beat 4 eggs with 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a large bowl for 1 minute. It should be foamy and well incorporated but not doubled or meringue-like.
  • Gradually add 1 ¼ cups sunflower oil and beat until incorporated and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Fold in 2 cups grated carrots.
  • Add the sifted dry ingredients in two parts, mixing with a spatula or whisk until well incorporated and lump-free. Don't beat at this point or the cake crumb will not be as soft. Fold in 1 cup chopped walnuts, if using. Don’t overmix.
  • Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes and remove from the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

For the cream cheese glaze:

  • Beat together 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons regular cream cheese in a medium bowl until creamy and no lumps remain.
  • Add 1 cup powdered sugar and integrate well until very smooth. The amount of sugar depends on how thin or thick you want the glaze. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons cream or milk to thin, if needed. It should be thick but pourable.
  • Drizzle over the cooled cake that has been put on a wire rack with a parchment paper underneath to catch any drips. Let it run down the sides and center of the cake. You can sprinkle additional chopped walnuts on top.

Notes

Baking time: Take into account that ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
Add-ins: Instead of walnuts, you can use pecans. Or, if you don't want nuts, raisins can be substituted. Make sure they're soft and plump. A mix of both is also a great idea and very old-fashioned.