Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling and Frosting Recipe

Introduction

This Carrot Bundt Cake is a moist, spiced dessert with a luscious cream cheese filling and frosting. The combination of shredded carrots, warm spices, and a creamy center makes it an irresistible treat perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients

• 375 g cream cheese, room temperature
• 225 g powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (plus 1 teaspoon for cake)
• ¼ teaspoon salt (plus ½ teaspoon for cake)
• 2 tablespoons milk, to thin out the frosting
• Crushed pecans, for topping
• 140 g golden raisins
• 300 g all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 150 g light-tasting oil (e.g. canola or avocado oil)
• 300 g brown sugar
• 125 g Greek yogurt, room temperature
• 300 g carrots, peeled and finely shredded (about 3 medium carrots)

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth. Set this cream cheese filling aside.
2. Step 2: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 10-cup bundt pan thoroughly with softened butter. Sprinkle a small handful of flour into the pan, shaking it around to coat the buttered surface completely, then tap out the excess flour.
3. Step 3: Place the golden raisins in a small bowl and cover with water to soak while preparing the batter.
4. Step 4: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
5. Step 5: In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix with a hand mixer on low speed until smooth and fully combined, with no lumps.
6. Step 6: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk gently until just combined—do not overmix.
7. Step 7: Drain the soaked raisins and fold them into the batter along with the shredded carrots using a spatula.
8. Step 8: Spoon about one-third of the batter into the prepared bundt pan, spreading it evenly.
9. Step 9: Transfer about two-thirds of the cream cheese filling into a piping bag and pipe it over the batter layer in the pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer.
10. Step 10: Top the cream cheese layer with the remaining carrot cake batter, spreading it evenly.
11. Step 11: Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake center comes out clean.
12. Step 12: Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. While still warm, carefully invert the pan to release the cake onto the rack. Cool completely before frosting.
13. Step 13: To make the frosting, add milk one tablespoon at a time to the remaining cream cheese filling, mixing until the frosting is fluid enough to drizzle slowly from the beaters. Transfer to a piping bag.
14. Step 14: Pipe the frosting over the cooled cake. Gently tap the cake on the counter to help the frosting drip down the sides. Sprinkle crushed pecans on top for garnish.

Tips & Variations

• Use light-tasting oil like canola or avocado for a neutral flavor that lets the spices shine.
• Soaking the raisins plumps them up, adding moisture and sweetness to the cake.
• If you don’t have a bundt pan, use a tube pan with similar capacity, adjusting baking time as needed.
• For a nut-free version, omit the pecan topping or replace it with toasted coconut flakes.

Storage

Store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days to keep the cream cheese frosting fresh. To serve, let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Leftover cake can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting and serving again.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make this cake without cream cheese filling?

Yes, you can skip the filling and simply bake the carrot cake batter as one layer in the bundt pan. The cake will still be moist and flavorful but without the creamy center.

Why should the eggs and yogurt be at room temperature?

Using room temperature eggs and yogurt helps the ingredients combine more evenly, resulting in a smoother batter and a better-textured cake.

Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling and Frosting Recipe

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★★★★★

4.4 from 70 reviews

This moist and flavorful Carrot Bundt Cake features a tender crumb packed with warm spices, shredded carrots, and golden raisins, layered with a rich cream cheese filling and topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting. Finished with a sprinkle of crunchy crushed pecans, it’s a perfect dessert for any occasion that combines classic carrot cake goodness with an elegant presentation.

• Author: Lily
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cream Cheese Filling & Frosting

• 375 g cream cheese, room temperature
• 225 g powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk, to thin out the frosting
• pecans, crushed, for topping

Carrot Cake

• 140 g golden raisins
• 300 g all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 150 g light-tasting oil (e.g. canola oil, avocado oil)
• 300 g brown sugar
• 125 g Greek yogurt, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 300 g carrots, peeled & finely shredded (about 3 medium carrots)

Instructions

1. Cream Cheese Filling Preparation: In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Use an electric hand mixer to beat the mixture until it becomes very creamy and smooth. Set aside while preparing the cake batter.
2. Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Thoroughly grease a 10-cup bundt pan with softened butter, ensuring to coat all corners and edges. Sprinkle a small handful of flour into the pan and rotate it to create a thin flour layer over the buttered surface. Tap out any excess flour and set the pan aside.
3. Soak Raisins: Place the golden raisins in a small bowl and cover them with water. Let them soak while preparing the batter to soften.
4. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt. Set aside.
5. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, light-tasting oil, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer on low speed to mix until smooth and well combined with no lumps of sugar.
6. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, whisking just until combined without overmixing.
7. Fold in Carrots and Raisins: Drain the soaked raisins well and add them along with the finely shredded carrots to the batter. Using a spatula, gently fold the ingredients until evenly distributed, taking care not to overmix.
8. Layer Batter and Cream Cheese Filling: Spoon about one-third of the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan. Transfer roughly two-thirds of the cream cheese filling into a piping bag and snip the tip off. Pipe the cream cheese filling over the first layer of batter and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Save the remaining cream cheese mixture for frosting later.
9. Add Remaining Batter: Spoon the rest of the batter on top of the cream cheese layer, spreading it evenly.
10. Bake Cake: Place the bundt pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.
11. Invert and Cool: While still warm, invert the bundt pan onto a wire rack to release the cake. Let it cool completely before frosting.
12. Prepare Frosting: Add the remaining cream cheese filling to a bowl and gradually add milk one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a hand mixer until the frosting is fluid enough to slowly drip off the beaters.
13. Frost Cake: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and pipe it decoratively on top of the cooled cake. Gently tap the serving dish against the counter to encourage the frosting to drip down the sides. Sprinkle crushed pecans over the top to finish.

Notes

• Ensure all wet ingredients like eggs and Greek yogurt are at room temperature to help create a smooth batter.
• Do not overmix the batter after adding dry ingredients to avoid a dense cake texture.
• Soaking the raisins enhances their moisture and flavor in the cake.
• Use an offset spatula for even spreading of the cream cheese layer inside the cake batter.
• Make sure to invert the bundt pan while the cake is still warm to avoid sticking.
• The frosting can be thinned with milk gradually; adding too much at once may make it too runny.
• Store the cake covered in the refrigerator if not serving immediately to keep the cream cheese frosting fresh.

Keywords: carrot cake, bundt cake, cream cheese frosting, spiced cake, golden raisins, dessert, baked cake, carrot dessert