This carrot cake bread loaf is a tasty spring treat. It's topped with cream cheese frosting thats infused with orange zest which elevates the brightness of the bread.
Why I Love This Recipe
I love the flavor of carrot cake, especially in the Spring time. On my blog, I have a carrot cake bread pudding recipe that is a simple/easy go to brunch dish that I make around Easter time. Feel free to check it out!
Carrots are plentiful in this house these days because Charlotte loves them steamed. 😂
Can we talk about this frosting for a second? Cream cheese and orange zest! YUM. I tested out this loaf a few times and I can honestly say the frosting is the best part. But isn't it always?
How To Make This Recipe
This carrot cake bread loaf is just like any other quick bread, you mix the dry and wet together separately, then combine.
The longest part of the prep process, is shredding the carrots. I always prefer shredding real carrots myself, rather than buying pre-shredded carrots (like the matchsticks ones) because those tend to dry out and most of the time they are too thick for quick breads anyway.
Substitutions
I would not recommend subbing coconut flour or almond flour in this recipe.
I can however recommend using WHITE whole wheat flour for the all purpose. It doesn't give too much of a wheat flavor and it does have more benefits, nutritionally speaking, than white flour.
If you are going to substitute white whole wheat flour, use the same amount of flour the recipe calls for but add another ¼ cup of Greek yogurt.
Speaking of Greek yogurt, I've been using full fat or 2% fat yogurt lately in muffins/ breads and it creates a more moist baked good.
FAQs
Yes, brown sugar (light or dark) should work perfectly.
It can be done, but it would alter the final texture of bread to be more crumbly.
It is best if eaten immediately however, it cane be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can be reheated for 30 seconds (max) in the microwave.
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Carrot Cake Bread Loaf
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
Description
This carrot cake bread loaf is a tasty spring treat. It's topped with cream cheese frosting thats infused with orange zest which elevates the brightness of the bread.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt (I used 2%)
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, whisked
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ¼ cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ brick (4 ounces) cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 orange, zested
- Garnish: Walnuts and more orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and lightly spray a loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs, add in Greek yogurt, sugar, vanilla and melted coconut oil. Once combined, pour into dry ingredients.
- After dry and wet ingredients are mixed together, add in shredded carrots and raisins.
- Pour into loaf pan and bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick runs clear.
- While the bread is baking, make the frosting by placing cream cheese in a glass or microwavable bowl. Heat for 30 seconds. Add in powdered sugar and orange zest. Mix together until no clumps appear. Place in the refrigerator until bread has finished cooking.
- Once the bread has finished cooking, allow to cool for 10 minutes until spreading frosting on top. Top frosting with chopped walnuts and more orange zest.
Notes
- Best if consumed immediately but can store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Microwave for 30 seconds (max)
- You can sub all purpose flour for white whole wheat flour but add another ¼ cup of yogurt.
- You can use 0% Greek yogurt, but I like 2% or higher because it increases the moisture of the bread.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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