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 mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Cooling Time:30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15 servings
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
- ⅔ 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
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:
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.
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