Carrot Cake Bundt Cake

We love this cake mix carrot cake bundt cake recipe with cream cheese filling! Best dessert with shredded carrots, nuts, pineapple and raisins that bakes in the oven to moist like Nothing Bundt Cakes style. Best cake mix hack it is a family favorite treat.

A bundt cake with carrots is a surprising treat. If you have never incorporated shredded vegetables into your batter it just makes it super moist and still stays sweet. An Old Fashioned Grandma dessert you likely had as a child but we have amped it up here.

We talk all about How Long to Bake a Bundt Cake here. You do NOT want it to dry out and even one minute longer than needed will do just that. The key is to check after the minimum baking time listed below because ovens will vary. Using a toothpick is fine but you want some moist crumbs attached, not baked until dry.

If you do decide to make semi-homemade with boxed cake mix, we give you different things to add vs. what is listed on the box. Instead we transition this into a pudding cake, which means super duper tender with the addition of that box.

Ingredient Notes

You are going to want to ideally start with a box of carrot cake mix, you can find this in almost any grocery store. Best alternative would be spice mix but you would need to shred carrots and add in that case.

Add 1 box of instant vanilla pudding mix will be added to make it as moist as possible. You do not make it before adding, you just incorporate the dry mix itself into the batter. I like to add some more cinnamon into the mix for a Fall flavor

You will want to add some water, or really any liquid would do. The melted butter will enhance the flavors and once again make it more moist and tender

I add vegetable oil but you could alternatively use applesauce or pumpkin puree. Those will work but will create a denser outcome. Use large room temperature eggs

And some vanilla extract. You will want full fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt to make super tender too

Can you add pineapple?

Yes, you can also add crushed pineapple (not drained) or leave it out. I suggest that you do incorporate some of this because it adds great flavor and is a way to make it as moist as humanly possible too.

How Long to Bake Carrot Cake Bundt Cake

In a bundt pan you will need 45 minutes or so until the thickest area is baked all the way thru. If using a different pan it may take an additional 5 minutes or so in a 9×13″ but this is prettier and doesn’t take as long.

How Long to Bake Carrot Cake into Muffins

You could make this into Apple Carrot Muffins Recipe too in a muffin tin. Makes 24 at least and only takes 18 minutes or so to bake to fluffy. Now let’s talk a minute about add ins. I would stick to 1/2 cup of one. Diced baked apples, raisins or chopped pecans / nuts are the most common you might decide to add.

Pressure Cooker Directions

I have made this into Instant Pot Carrot Cake in a mini size but this would make a few of them, but made one at a time. A great size for gifting during the holidays so if you want an in between size that is larger than a mini bundt but not as big as this, I suggest this method.

Mini Bundt Pan Bake Time

If you want to make this into a few Mini Bundt Cake individual servings you can. Timing is much faster, cuts it down to 20 minutes vs. 1 hour. You don’t have to slice them at all either which is kinda’ nice and looks super cute. For a classic carrot cake you would;

How to Make the Frosting

If you do want to add a Cream Cheese Layer into the center you would need these 3 things to mix with a stand or electric mixer until creamy. Piping into a bag to squeeze in is recommended so the same amount is added all the way around the center of the batter.

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Cream cheese frosting without butter is what I make for the topping. Or for an easy choice you can just whisk together powdered sugar with a bit of milk and vanilla extract until as thick as you’d like.