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Serve up this carrot coffee cake for Easter brunch.
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5 from 2 votes

Carrot Coffee Cake Recipe

Easy yet full of flavor, this Carrot Coffee Cake is the perfect brunch dish for your next celebration. A delightfully decadent cake full of shredded carrots and nuts with a crumb topping and a cream cheese glaze make this the ideal recipe for brunch.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Cooling Time:30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15 servings

Ingredients

Carrot Coffee Cake:

  • 2 ½ cups flour all purpose or a gluten-free 1-to-1 blend
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 ½ sticks butter softened
  • 1 ¼ cup white sugar
  • 3 eggs large
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup milk regular or plant-based
  • 2 ½ cups carrots peeled, finely grated
  • ½ cup coconut sweetened shredded

Crumb Topping:

  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • cup flour all purpose or gluten-free 1-to-1
  • 4 Tbsp. butter room temperature
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon

Cream Cheese Glaze:

  • 2 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 Tbsp. butter melted
  • ½ tsp. vanilla clear
  • 1-2 Tbsp. milk optional
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To Make the Coffee Cake:

  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt together in a large bowl.
  • In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes on medium speed, or until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Continue beating for another 1-2 minutes or until well combined.
  • Incrementally add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, beating on low speed after each addition until everything is well combined.
  • Once mixed, pour in the milk and mix on low until incorporated.
  • Using either a food processor with a grating attachment or a handheld grater, shred peeled carrots until you get 2 ½ cups of grated carrots. Add this to the batter along with the shredded coconut and mix by hand with a spatula until well combined.
  • Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and then pour in the coffee cake batter. Spread this out until smooth.

To Make the Crumb Topping:

  • In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cube the butter and then cut it into the flour mixture using either a pastry cutter or a large fork. You should still have some pea-sized crumbs left. Sprinkle this on top of the batter in the baking dish.
  • Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick when inserted in comes out clean.

To Make the Cream Cheese Glaze:

  • In a medium-sized bowl mix the ingredients together using a handheld or stand mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Thin out the glaze with milk until a drizzling consistency is reached. Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before drizzling the glaze on top. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Meal Prep and Storage

  • How to prep ahead of time: This entire cake can be made the night before you serve it. Or, you can shred the carrots and make the crumble one day before.
  • How to store: This carrot coffee cake will stay fresh for up to 2 to 3 days at room temperature, or up to 1 week in the fridge. Seal in an airtight container.
  • How to freeze: Be sure the cake cools completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months.
  • How to reheat: You can warm this cake up in 15 second intervals in the microwave. Or, you can place it back in a 250℉ oven. However, the glaze might melt into the cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 3789IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg