Carrot Bundt Cake with Nuts & Cream Cheese Glaze

The photo appears to show a moist carrot Bundt cake made with freshly grated carrots, warm spices and chopped nuts, finished with a light cream-cheese glaze and powdered sugar. Several established carrot-Bundt recipes use this same combination of carrots, cinnamon, nuts and cream-cheese glaze.

Yield
1 large 10-inch Bundt cake
About 12–14 servings
Prep: 20–25 minutes
Bake: 50–65 minutes
Cooling: at least 1 hour
1. Ingredients
Carrot cake
Ingredient Amount
All-purpose flour 2¼ cups / 270 g
Baking powder 2 tsp
Baking soda 1 tsp
Ground cinnamon 2 tsp
Ground nutmeg ½ tsp
Ground ginger ½ tsp
Salt ½ tsp
Vegetable/canola oil 1¼ cups / 300 ml
Granulated sugar ¾ cup / 150 g
Brown sugar ¾ cup / 150 g
Large eggs 4
Vanilla extract 2 tsp
Fresh carrots, finely grated 3 cups / about 300–330 g
Chopped walnuts or pecans 1 cup / about 110–120 g
Raisins ½–1 cup, optional

Oil is particularly useful in carrot cake because it helps produce a moist crumb; nuts and raisins are also common additions.

Cream-cheese glaze
4 oz / 115 g cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp butter, softened
1½ cups / about 180 g powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
2–4 tbsp milk
Tiny pinch of salt

For a thinner drizzle, add more milk a little at a time. A cream-cheese glaze with powdered sugar, vanilla and milk is a standard pairing for carrot Bundt cake.

Decoration — optional
2–3 tbsp finely chopped walnuts or pecans
Powdered sugar
A few thin carrot strips or small carrot curls
2. Preparing the carrots
Peel the carrots.
Grate them using the small or medium holes of a box grater.
Do not boil or cook them.
If the carrots are exceptionally wet, gently blot them with a paper towel.
Measure 3 cups after grating.

Important: Don’t use packaged shredded carrots that are thick and dry. Freshly grated carrots blend much better into the batter.

3. Prepare the Bundt pan

Use a 10-inch/10–12 cup Bundt pan.

Grease every part of the pan extremely well, especially:

central tube
bottom
grooves
corners
decorative areas

Then dust lightly with flour, or use a baking spray designed for cakes.

This is one of the most important steps because Bundt cakes can stick much more easily than ordinary round cakes.

4. Mix the dry ingredients

In a large bowl whisk together:

flour
baking powder
baking soda
cinnamon
nutmeg
ginger
salt

Mix for about 30 seconds so the baking agents and spices are evenly distributed.

5. Mix the wet ingredients

In another large bowl add:

oil
white sugar
brown sugar
eggs
vanilla

Whisk for about 2 minutes.

The mixture should become smooth and slightly thick.

You don’t need to whip it like a sponge cake. The oil-based method is intended to produce a moist, tender cake.

6. Combine

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in 2–3 additions.

Fold gently with a spatula.

Do not overmix.

Stop as soon as you no longer see dry flour.

7. Add carrots and nuts

Fold in:

3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
raisins, if using

Mix just until evenly distributed.

The batter will be fairly thick. That’s normal.

Nut information
Best nuts for this cake

1. Walnuts — my first choice

Slightly bitter, earthy flavor
Excellent contrast with the sweet carrot cake
Gives a traditional carrot-cake taste

2. Pecans

Sweeter and more buttery
Excellent if you want a richer, more dessert-like cake

3. Cashews

Mild and creamy
Work well, although they’re less traditional

4. Almonds

Use finely chopped almonds
They give a firmer, slightly crunchy texture

A number of carrot Bundt recipes specifically use walnuts or pecans, while other versions use cashews.

Should the nuts be toasted?

Yes, if possible.

Spread the nuts on a tray and toast at 350°F / 175°C for about 6–8 minutes.

Cool completely before chopping.

This makes the nut flavor much stronger.

Nut-free version

Simply omit the nuts.

You don’t need to replace them with anything.

For extra texture, you can add another ½ cup of raisins or ½ cup unsweetened coconut.

Nut allergy

If serving someone with a nut allergy, don’t simply remove the nuts if the kitchen has significant cross-contact risk. Use ingredients labeled appropriately for the person’s allergy requirements.

8. Fill the Bundt pan

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Gently tap the pan on the counter 2–3 times to release large air pockets.

Smooth the top with a spatula.

Don’t fill the pan more than approximately ⅔–¾ full.

9. Bake

Preheat oven to:

350°F / 175°C

Bake for approximately:

50–65 minutes

Start checking around 50 minutes.

Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the thickest part of the cake.

It should come out:

clean, or
with a few moist crumbs

It should not have wet batter on it.

Bundt carrot cakes commonly fall in roughly the 50–70 minute range depending on the pan and recipe.

10. Cooling — VERY IMPORTANT

Once removed from the oven:

Place the pan on a cooling rack.
Leave the cake in the pan for 10–15 minutes.
Carefully loosen the edges with a thin spatula if necessary.
Invert onto the cooling rack.
Allow it to cool completely.

Don’t pour the glaze over a very hot cake.

A warm cake can cause the cream-cheese glaze to melt and disappear into the cake.

11. Make the cream-cheese glaze

Beat together:

115 g softened cream cheese
1 tbsp softened butter
vanilla
pinch of salt

Beat until smooth.

Gradually add the powdered sugar.

Add 2 tbsp milk and mix.

If too thick, add another tablespoon of milk.

If too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Perfect consistency

The glaze should fall slowly from a spoon in a thick ribbon.

You want it thick enough to run down the sides of the Bundt cake, rather than completely covering it.

12. Decorate

Place the completely cooled cake on a serving plate.

Pour the glaze slowly around the top of the Bundt.

Let it naturally drip down the sides.

Finish with:

chopped toasted walnuts/pecans
a light dusting of powdered sugar

This gives the cake the appearance shown in your photo.

Extra-moist version

For an even softer cake, you can add:

½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Add it with the wet ingredients.

If you do this, don’t increase the carrots excessively—the balance of moisture matters.

Tips for the best result
1. Don’t squeeze all the moisture from the carrots

Carrots are one of the major moisture sources in the cake.

2. Don’t overmix

Overmixing develops gluten and can make the cake heavy.

3. Use room-temperature eggs

They incorporate more evenly.

4. Use finely chopped nuts

Large pieces can make slices crumble.

5. Toast the nuts

This gives much better flavor.

6. Don’t overbake

The cake should remain moist.

7. Cool before glazing

Otherwise the glaze will become runny.

8. Let the finished cake rest

After glazing, let it sit for 20–30 minutes before cutting.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use brown sugar instead of white sugar?

Yes. You can use 1½ cups brown sugar instead of the combination of white and brown sugar.

The cake will be slightly darker, moister and more caramel-like.

Q: Can I use butter instead of oil?

Yes, but oil generally gives carrot cake a particularly moist texture. If substituting, use about 170 g melted butter for the 1¼ cups oil, and allow it to cool before mixing.

Q: Can I use olive oil?

Yes, but choose a mild/light olive oil. Extra-virgin olive oil with a strong peppery flavor can dominate the cake.

Q: Can I leave out the raisins?

Absolutely.

The cake works perfectly well without raisins.

Q: Can I add pineapple?

Yes. Use about ½ cup well-drained crushed pineapple.

Because pineapple adds considerable moisture, drain it very well and expect the cake to potentially require additional baking time.

Q: Can I add coconut?

Yes. Add ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut with the carrots and nuts.

Q: Why did my Bundt cake stick?

Usually one of these:

insufficient pan grease
flour wasn’t applied evenly
cake was removed too early
cake was allowed to cool completely in the pan
intricate Bundt pan wasn’t properly coated

For a Bundt cake, grease the pan thoroughly and release it after approximately 10–15 minutes.

Q: Why is the middle raw?

Possible causes:

oven temperature is too low
pan is too small
batter was too wet
cake was removed too early

Return it to the oven and continue baking in 5–10 minute increments.

Q: Why did my cake sink?

Common causes include:

underbaking
too much liquid
opening the oven too early
excessive baking soda/powder
overmixing
Q: Can I make this without a Bundt pan?

Yes.

You can use:

two 9-inch round pans
a 9×13-inch pan
loaf pans

Baking time will change substantially, so use the toothpick/crumb test rather than relying only on the Bundt timing.

Q: Can I make cupcakes?

Yes, but don’t use the Bundt baking time. Fill cupcake liners about ⅔ full and begin checking around 18–25 minutes.

Q: Can I freeze the cake?

Yes. Freeze the unglazed cake tightly wrapped.

For best quality, use it within about 2–3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring toward room temperature and glaze.

Q: How long does it keep?

Because of the cream-cheese glaze, refrigerate it in an airtight container.

It is generally best within 3–4 days.

Q: Can I make the cake a day ahead?

Yes—and it’s actually a good idea.

Bake the cake the day before, cool it completely, wrap it, and refrigerate. Glaze it several hours before serving or the next day.

Quick Recipe Card

Carrot Bundt Cake

Dry:
2¼ cups flour + 2 tsp baking powder + 1 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp cinnamon + ½ tsp nutmeg + ½ tsp ginger + ½ tsp salt

Wet:
1¼ cups oil + ¾ cup white sugar + ¾ cup brown sugar + 4 eggs + 2 tsp vanilla

Add-ins:
3 cups grated carrots + 1 cup walnuts/pecans + optional ½–1 cup raisins

Bake:
350°F / 175°C for approximately 50–65 minutes

Glaze:
4 oz cream cheese + 1 tbsp butter + 1½ cups powdered sugar + ½ tsp vanilla + 2–4 tbsp milk

Best nut: Walnuts for classic flavor; pecans for a sweeter, buttery version.

Approximate nutrition

For 14 slices, without optional raisins and with the cream-cheese glaze, a slice will be roughly 400–450 calories, depending on the exact quantities and nuts used. It will also contain a meaningful amount of fat from the oil, nuts and cream cheese, plus carbohydrates from the flour and sugars. This is an estimate rather than laboratory nutrition data.