Carrot Bundt Cake
A classic, moist and lightly-spiced carrot bundt cake with delicious mix-ins like coconut and pecans, topped with cream cheese icing. It’s also made with browned butter, so it’s likely to be the BEST carrot cake you’ve ever had.
To be honest, I haven’t really been the biggest carrot cake fan. Growing up, I thought the only good thing about carrot cake was the frosting. But I’m older and wiser now, and this carrot bundt cake has completely won me over!
It’s moist and flavorful, and filled with all the traditional ingredients you love— coconut, chopped pecans, shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, cinnamon and ginger. It’s also made with browned butter, which adds a whole other layer of flavor and deliciousness. And of course, we can’t forget about the rich creamy frosting (which may still be my favorite part).
Table of Contents
- Why you'll love it
- Ingredients you'll need
- How to make this carrot bundt cake, step-by-step
- Recipe tips and FAQs
- More bundt cake recipes
- Make it now, here's the recipe
Why you’ll love it
- No mixer required!
- Baking it in a bundt pan means it’s easier and less fussy than other carrot cake recipes.
- It has all the cozy flavors you expect— warm spices, nuts, and coconut— with even more flavor thanks to brown butter.
- Shredded carrots and pineapple help create the perfectly moist texture.
- It’s topped with a very generous portion of cream cheese glaze so you get a bite of cake + frosting every time.
- Perfect for Easter, other holidays, birthdays and special occasions!
Ingredients you’ll need
Carrot cake ingredient lists can be a bit long! But there’s nothing too complicated or unusual here (you can find the full recipe down below):
- Salted butter
- Brown sugar: either light or dark brown sugar, but I always choose dark brown sugar for the extra flavor
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder, baking soda and salt
- Ground cinnamon and ginger
- Vanilla extract
- Canned crushed pineapple (not drained)
- Sweetened shredded coconut: Unsweetened coconut is drier, so I prefer sweetened for the added moisture.
- Chopped pecans: Or walnuts, or leave out nuts completely if you want.
- Freshly grated carrots: Store-bought shredded carrots are very dried out, so grate your own from whole carrots.
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
How to make this carrot bundt cake, step-by-step
- Brown butter, grate carrots, and prep other ingredients. While the butter browns on the stove, shred the carrots with a box grater or food processor, and get everything else ready.
- Prepare batter. Stir dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk wet ingredients in another bowl, then combine. When a few streaks of flour remain, stir in pecans and coconut.
- Bake. Scoop and spread the thick batter into a well-greased bundt pan. Bake in a 350°F oven for about an hour.
- Cool completely. Leave the cake in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then invert on a wire rack.
- Top with frosting. Stir together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and cream to make a thick icing that’s still soft enough to drape over the bundt sides.
- Serve and enjoy! The bundt can be served right away, or stored in the refrigerator for later.
Recipe tips and FAQs
What type of bundt cake pan should I use?
I recommend a light-metal 10-12-cup capacity bundt pan. Here’s the one I use. A dark-metal pan will produce more browning and overcook the edges. You can use a nonstick or regular pan, though either way your pan should be well-greased with nonstick baking spray (that contains flour, like Baker’s Joy).
Can I use store-bought shredded carrots instead of grating my own?
Store-bought, pre-shredded carrots have lost so much of their moisture by the time they make it to you, so don’t use them! Instead, use a box grater or a food processor (my preference). Once grated, give the carrots a rough chop with a sharp knife to cut them up even more.
How should I store the carrot bundt cake? Can I freeze the carrot bundt cake?
This bundt cake will keep really well for about 5 days, though it slowly looses its moisture over time. Since the frosting contains cream cheese, it should be stored in the fridge. You can also freeze the unfrosted carrot bundt cake for up to 1 month, wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap. Let it thaw on the counter for a few hours, removing the plastic only once thawed.
baking tip:How do you know when bundt cake is done?
Bundt cakes can be tricky because of their long bake time. You want to make sure it’s done all the way through, but you also don’t want to overbake it or the cake will be dry. You can insert a toothpick into the center and check for just a few moist crumbs. Or, for even more accuracy use an instant read thermometer and pull the cake out of the oven when it reaches 190-200°F.
I usually start checking for doneness about 5-10 minutes before the recipe bake time is up, since ovens and baking times will vary.
More bundt cake recipes
Make it now, here’s the recipe
Carrot Bundt Cake
This carrot bundt cake is lightly-spiced carrot cake with fun and delicious mix-ins like coconut and pecans, topped with cream cheese icing. Browning the butter means there's even extra flavor!
Ingredients
Carrot Bundt Cake:
- 1 cup (226 grams) salted butter , cubed
- 2 ¼ cup (325 grams) all-purpose flour , measured correctly (see Notes)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ cup (320 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup (215 grams) canned crushed pineapple , not drained
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 grams) freshly shredded carrots , 3-5 carrots depending on size
- 1 cup (90 grams) sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup (60 grams) pecan pieces (coarsely chopped pecans)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese , at room temperature
- 2 cups (227 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream , as needed
Equipment
Instructions
To make the carrot bundt cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 10-12 cup capacity bundt cake pan generously with nonstick baking spray (which has flour in it).
- Brown butter: Add cubed butter to saucepan over medium low heat. It will melt and start to foam. Stir frequently with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan, and cook until you see brown specs in the butter and it has a nutty aroma. Remove from heat immediately and pour it into a large bowl to cool. 1 cup (226 grams) salted butter
- Prep other ingredients: While the butter is browning and cooling, prep other ingredients. Once carrots are shredded, use a sharp knife to chop them into smaller pieces (this is especially important if you use a food processor). I also prefer to more finely chop the coconut and pecans too, but do this after measuring.
- Prep cake batter: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger. 2 ¼ cup (325 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Once the butter has mostly cooled, stir wet ingredients into the bowl: brown sugar, pineapple, eggs, vanilla and shredded carrots. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in the coconut and pecans when a few streaks of flour remain.1 ½ cup (320 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar, ¾ cup (215 grams) canned crushed pineapple, 4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 cups (250 grams) freshly shredded carrots, 1 cup (90 grams) sweetened shredded coconut, ½ cup (60 grams) pecan pieces (coarsely chopped pecans)
- Bake bundt cake: Spoon cake batter into the prepared bundt cake pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, or until an instant read thermometer reads 190-200°F.
- Cool: Let the cake cool in the pan 10-15 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make frosting:
- Stir together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream (you can use an electric mixer, but it can also be done by hand). You want a very thick icing, but one that will drape down the side of the bundt. Add more cream if needed.8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese, 2 cups (227 grams) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Use a spoon to add the frosting to the top of the cooled bundt, encouraging it down the sides.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge for later. Bundt cake will keep for about 5 days in the fridge, but will be at its best within 2 days.
Video
Notes
- All recipes on completelydelicious.com are tested with the “spoon and level” method of measuring flour for accuracy. For best results, use gram measurements and a kitchen scale.
- I’ve found the cake has the best texture when all of the mix-ins are finely chopped so there’s no big chunks of anything, which is why I’ve included the extra steps of chopping the shredded carrots, coconut and chopped pecans. I start with “pecan pieces” instead of whole pecans.
- The unfrosted cake cake be frozen in a double layer of plastic wrap for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours, only removing the plastic wrap once thawed.
Calories: 442kcal, Carbohydrates: 56g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 364mg, Potassium: 224mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 40g, Vitamin A: 3312IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 72mg, Iron: 2mg
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.
I really want to make this cake for a friend’s birthday, but the link to the recipe does not contain measurements.
I’ve always wanted to make a bundt cake and never have! Yours looks absolutely delicious!
Thanks Sandra! Bundts are so easy and so fun, you definitely need to give one a try!
Carrot cakes are what’s my favourite during summer times!