Carrot Cake Pound Cake

Easy carrot cake pound cake with cake mix or homemade in a bundt pan is delicious. Top with cream cheese frosting with walnuts, this recipe comes out super moist with shredded hidden vegetables for dessert.

There are two ways to make this, and a few variations along the way of course too. I do like to add some raisins and walnuts into the mix if I have them too but those are optional. Frosting is a personal preference too but typically you’d find cream cheese lathering the top and sides. (affiliate links present)

Carrot Pound Cake using Cake Mix

You can make this a quick bread of sorts if you do not want to go all out for our homemade version below. In this case you can use yellow but carrot or spice cake mix is the best for that deeper flavor. Do not follow the instructions on the back, you will need the following ingredients below to make the batter instead;

1. 1 box cake mix, spice or carrot recommended
2. 1/2 cup water or pineapple juice is a nice tough
3. 4 eggs will make it super moist and dense as you’d expect
4. 2 cups shredded carrots
5. 2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg, should be cut in half if spiced box mix is used

If you want to bake this in a bundt then go ahead and use the same temperature and timing as directed below. You can also fill 2 loaf pans instead which will bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes or until tops spring back when touched gently or toothpick comes out mostly clean with moist crumbs attached.

Ingredients in Carrot Pound Cake

• 2 c all purpose flour
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt
• Unsalted butter is best, softened so it blends nicely into the batter
• Sugar will make it sweet, but not too much
• Brown sugar will provide a deepness vs. white granulated above
• 4 eggs will provide the same effect of a lot of butter otherwise used in bottom option
• Vanilla extract brings out the other flavors better
• 2 cups of grated and peeled carrots

Variations

• Pineapple that is crushed and drained
  • you could do this with other diced fruits like we did in our Peach Cobbler Pound Cake
• Chopped walnuts will give it more texture
• Raisins will make it sweeter and more moist
• I do love some fresh or dried cranberries like our banana cranberry bread with walnuts (we added both in that)
• This cake with cream cheese frosting on the top is killer

How do you grate carrots for a cake?

It isn’t much different from cheese, you can even use the same grater but there is a trick to it. First fold a few paper towels and place on the bottom of the opening. Peel the skin of the carrot off with a peeler, discard. Grate, then lift up and roll the shreds inside the towels. Press down gently to remove as much of the moisture as you can so it doesn’t make the baked goods too dense.

I do the same thing when adding bits of fruit too, like in our fresh apple bundt cake. You don’t want to add too much water into the batter or the ratio won’t be right.

How to Bake a Carrot Bundt Cake

• Preheat your oven to 325° F. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
• In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
• In your stand mixer cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix just until combined.
• Fold in grated carrots, crushed pineapple, and chopped nuts (if using, use 1/2 cup chopped).
• Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, spreading it evenly.
• Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
• Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before gently flipping over with a plate held still on the top.
• Do not add cream cheese glaze until cooled completely or it will fall right off.

What can you use if you don’t have a bundt pan?

There are several options out there, the biggest thing to remember is you never want to fill a pan with more than 3/4 batter or it will likely overflow. A 9×13″ pan will result in a thinner outcome and take closer to 25 minutes to bake. We have done this with our banana and nuts cake in 2 loaf pans, bake for 10 minutes less for these. 2 8-inch rounds will work the same way too.

How Long to Bake Carrot Cake in a Loaf Pan

350 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes is how long you would need in this smaller form. I like to line the pan with parchment paper so you can lift it out and place on a cooling rack when done. This will yield the moistest outcome. This would fill 2 loaf pans 3/4 of the way full, but this way is so much prettier don’t you agree? We did the same method to make our Copycat Sara Lee Pound Cake too.

What is the difference between carrot cake and regular cake?

I think the first thing you will notice is how much more dense the texture is. It isn’t necessarily fluffy like one you’d enjoy at a birthday party or something. Another difference between a box of baked cake mix let’s say and classic carrot cake are the add ins. You wouldn’t normally find nuts, raisins and shredded vegetables inside those but with this variety it is expected.