Carrot cake is a unique and delightful dessert that rarely gets a makeover. However, as the seasons change and the temperatures drop, we start thinking more about the substantial dishes that come with Autumn. This season, treat yourself to an updated classic, Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing! It is a moist, textured, and spiced gluten-free cake made in a gorgeous bundt pan served with homemade vanilla-scented icing.
What Is a Bundt Cake?
A bundt cake is a type of cake that is baked in a bundt pan. A bundt pan is circular with a peak in the middle and a patterned design on the interior. The baked cake is inverted out of the bundt pan, showing off its beautiful pattern and concave hole in the middle.
Oftentimes, icing or frosting collects in the center of the bundt cake. This is common and something many people love about bundt cakes. Finding a pocket of frosting is a bonus to this scrumptious, uniquely shaped cake.
Almost any cake batter can be added to a bundt pan and baked to perfection. They make for a stunning presentation, especially for company. Plus, bundt cakes feed a lot of people!
Carrot Bundt Cake Additions
Carrot cake often has additional ingredients suspended within the moist cake for added texture and flavor. You can also find recipes without added ingredients outside of the grated carrots. This Carrot Bundt Cake has freshly toasted pecans for added crunch and mouthfeel in the cake.
Other gluten-free ingredients you may like in your Carrot Bundt Cake are:
- Shredded coconut
- Toasted nuts
- Pineapple
- Candied ginger
- Raisins
- Dried cranberries
Best Gluten-Free Flour for Baking
Since there are so many gluten-free flour varieties, sometimes it’s hard to know which is best. Most GF folks will tell you that baking your own goods is almost always tastier than packaged varieties at the store. Breads, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods are easily attainable from the comfort of your own home.
For this Carrot Bundt Cake, I used Cup4Cup gluten-free flour. I find that it simplifies and streamlines the baking process by containing all of the necessary ingredients for baking, including xanthan gum. If you use a gluten-free flour that does not contain xanthan gum, you will need to add ½ teaspoon to your dry ingredients. Plus, with Cup4Cup you can bake any recipe replacing wheat flour with ease.
Ingredients in Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
This is a no-frills, no-fuss cake. All you need are these simple ingredients.
For the Carrot Bundt Cake:
- 1½ cups packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2½ cups Cup4Cup all-purpose flour (or your favorite 1:1 GF baking flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups freshly grated carrots
- 1 cup roasted pecans, lightly chopped
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- ½ stick butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons milk
How to Make Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Liberally rub your bundt pan with softened butter or GF nonstick baking spray. Using your fingers, distribute the fat deep into the nooks and crannies of the bundt cake pan. Once the inside is totally greased, dust evenly with a layer of GF flour. Make sure the grease and flour line every inch of the inside of the pan. If you are careful here, your cake will not stick to the pan after baking. Set the prepared pan aside.
To a large bowl, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil. Whisk to combine. Then add the eggs, applesauce, and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk until everything is homogenous.
In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine.
Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. When it is almost combined, add the carrots and roasted pecans. Fold until all of the flour is just incorporated.
Evenly pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Place in a preheated oven and bake 50-55 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven. Allow the cake to cool for 15-30 minutes before turning it out.
Place an inverted plate or cake stand on top of the warm cake pan. Holding the plate tightly, flip the bundt pan so that the cake wiggles out onto the plate. If you greased the pan well, the Carrot Bundt Cake will let loose from the pan. Remove the cake pan to reveal your stunning cake.
Once the cake is cooled, make the icing.
Using a whisk, combine all icing ingredients until there are no lumps.
Warm the icing in the microwave for 30-second intervals until it is a drizzling consistency. Drizzle the icing over the cake.
Serve at room temperature or warm slices in the microwave. Save leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Equipment
- Bundt pan
Ingredients
For the Carrot Bundt Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups Cup4Cup all-purpose flour, or your favorite GF flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
- 2 cups freshly grated carrots
- 1 cup roasted pecans, lightly chopped
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 stick butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Liberally rub your bundt pan with softened butter or GF nonstick baking spray. Using your fingers, distribute the fat deep into the nooks and crannies of the bundt cake pan. Once the inside is totally greased, dust evenly with a layer of GF flour. Make sure the grease and flour line every inch of the inside of the pan. If you are careful here, your cake will not stick to the pan after baking. Set the prepared pan aside.
- To a large bowl, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil. Whisk to combine.
- Then add the eggs, applesauce, and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk until everything is homogenous.
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine.
- Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. When it is almost combined, add the carrots and roasted pecans. Fold until all of the flour is just incorporated.
- Evenly pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Place in a preheated oven and bake 50-55 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven. Allow the cake to cool for 15-30 minutes before turning it out.
- Place an inverted plate or cake stand on top of the warm cake pan. Holding the plate tightly, flip the bundt pan so that the cake wiggles out onto the plate. If you greased the pan well, the Carrot Bundt Cake will let loose from the pan. Remove the cake pan to reveal your stunning cake.
- Once the cake is cooled, make the icing.
- Using a whisk, combine all icing ingredients together until there are no lumps. Warm the icing in the microwave for 30-second intervals until it is a drizzling consistency. Drizzle the icing over the cake.
- Serve at room temperature or warm slices in the microwave. Save leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
