This Carrot Cake Loaf topped with decadent Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting is packed with delicious flavor from shredded carrots, pineapple, coconut, and walnuts. It's a delightful sweet treat perfect for any occasion.
With spring and Easter on the horizon, I have been thinking about recipes that I love and that will suit the season. While brainstorming and considering what I've shared here on Inspired by Charm, I realized there was a need for a carrot cake-inspired quick bread so that's what I decided to make.
The result was this easy and delicious adorable Carrot Cake Loaf with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.
Why You'll Love this Dessert Loaf:
- It's all the things you love about carrot cake but without all of the fuss to create it.
- I love a carrot cake filled with shredded carrots, pineapple, coconut, and nuts. They give this loaf such rich depth of flavor (and that's exactly what this recipe has)!
- The brown butter cream cheese frosting takes this dessert to the next level. (Brown butter has that effect.) It definitely amps up the flavor from predictable to unexpected in the best possible way.
- And let's not forget the adorable mini carrot frosting detail. It doesn't get much cuter than that!
Looking for more delicious loaves? Try these:
- Mixed Berry Pound Cake
- Cinnamon Nut Quick Bread
- Apple Fritter Bread
- Cinnamon Roll Bread
- Lemon and Blueberry Bread
Alright my friends, let's strap on our aprons, grab some bowls, and whip up this delicious loaf.
How to Make Carrot Cake Loaf:
You can find a full ingredient list and detailed instructions for these bars in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line two 8x4-inch loaf baking pans with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl add the eggs, melted butter, carrots, pineapple, coconut, vanilla, and buttermilk. Whisk to combine.
- Stir in the flour mixture, then fold in the walnuts.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared baking pans.
- Bake for 60 minutes.
- Cool the loaves in the pan for about 10 minutes and then remove them from the pan and allow them to completely cool on a wire rack.
- To prepare the frosting, start by making the brown butter.
- Add the brown butter and cream cheese to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer to combine.
- Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk. Beat slowly to combine.
- Once your loaves are completely cooled, spread the frosting onto the top.
- Use colored frosting to pipe small carrots on top of the frosting.
And with that, your Carrot Cake Loafs are complete!
All that's left to do is slice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes and Tips:
I think the piped frosting carrots on this carrot cake loaf are adorable, but if you're looking for something less fussy, you can just leave them off or garnish the frosting with chopped walnuts.
You can enjoy this carrot cake loaf on the same day. If you're lucky enough to have any leftovers, they can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
If you're looking to make this recipe in advance, the loaf will freeze nicely. I typically don't recommend freezing cream cheese, so I would freeze the loaf without the frosting, and add the frosting once the loaf defrosts and you're ready to serve it.
For this recipe, I used sweetened shredded coconut, but unsweetened coconut would also work. In addition, a handful of raisins may be added to the recipe.
And that's a wrap on this delicious Carrot Cake Loaf with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. Whether you're whipping this up for the upcoming Easter holiday or just craving a slice of carrot cake, I sincerely hope you enjoy this recipe.
Happy Baking!
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Carrot Cake Loaf
This Carrot Cake Loaf topped with decadent Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting is packed with delicious flavor from shredded carrots, pineapple, coconut, and walnuts. It's a delightful sweet treat perfect for any occasion.
Carrot Cake Loaf
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple in juice (drained)
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- food coloring (optional)
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 8x4-inch loaf baking pans with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl add the eggs, melted butter, carrots, pineapple, coconut, vanilla, and buttermilk. Whisk to combine. Stir in the flour mixture, then fold in the walnuts. Mix until everything is evenly distributed.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (To prevent over-browning, loosely cover the loaves with aluminum foil towards the end of the baking process.)
- Cool the loaves in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, remove them from the pan and allow them to completely cool on a wire rack.
- In the meantime, prepare the frosting. Start by making the brown butter by placing the butter into a skillet over medium heat. Stir while cooking the butter. Once melted, wait for the butter to foam up and then subside. At this point, you should notice little brown bits at the bottom of your pan as well as a nutty aroma. Remove the butter from the heat, then transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl into the freezer for about 10 minutes to allow the butter to return to a solid form.
- Add the brown butter and cream cheese to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer to combine. Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat slowly to combine. Add as much milk as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Optional: Remove two small (about 1/4 cup) portions of the frosting and place them in separate bowls. Use gel food coloring to dye one portion orange and one portion green. Transfer to a piping bag and cut off a small portion of the tip.
- Once your loaves are completely cooled, spread the frosting onto the top. Use the colored frosting to pipe small carrots on top of the frosting.
- Enjoy immediately or store sealed in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
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