This carrot cake coffee cake is a sweetly spiced, extra moist carrot cake topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel. It's an easy carrot cake that can be whipped up in less than an hour!
I love everything carrot cake and everything coffee cake so this is going to be a forever favorite for me. It's got the perfect texture, best buttery crumb topping and little bit of glaze to hit all the elements. And the best part is, other than grating the carrots, this cake is a quick throw in ingredients and mix kinda cake!
For more coffee cake recipes I'd highly suggest my blueberry lemon coffee cake, blueberry coffee cake muffins or my coffee cake cookies.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Moist and tender: The crumb of this cake is so soft and moist from the carrots, oil and buttermilk.
- Flavor: While you don't really taste actual carrots, its sweet and perfectly spiced.
- No mixer needed: All you need is a bowl and a whisk to make this simple cake.
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Carrots: You want to grate your carrots fine so they disperse all throughout the cake. And if you're left with extra carrots I'd highly suggest trying my banana carrot muffins.
- Oil: I love using coconut oil because I love the hint of coconut flavor it adds, but canola, vegetable or avocado would also be great.
- Sugars: You will use granulated sugar, brown sugar and powdered sugar in this recipe.
- Buttermilk: You can also sub in with sour cream or greek yogurt if that's what you have on hand.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together carrots, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix all together.
- Step 2: Add dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Followed by buttermilk.
- Step 3: Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
- Step 4: Mix all the streusel toppings together in a small bowl until crumbly. Spread evenly over the cake batter.
- Step 5: Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
- Step 6: Mix together the glaze until runny enough to drizzle. Drizzle over the top of the cooled cake. Cut and serve.
Expert Baking Tips
- Cakes will have the best results if made with room temperature ingredients. I like to pull my eggs, buttermilk, and butter out of the fridge an hour or two before I start baking.
- You can either grate fresh carrots by hand with a box grater or grate them with a food processor by using the shredding disk.
- You can skip the glaze and sprinkle with powdered sugar on top.
FAQ
I always peel my carrots before grating them.
Yes, you can bake it in a loaf pan or in a 8 or 9 inch square pan as well. It would even work in a deep dish pie plate.
If your cake sank in the middle it's because it wasn't quite done baking. Make sure it doesn't jiggle at all when pulling out of the oven.
Storing & Freezing
Carrot cake coffee cake needs to be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. You can wrap it in tinfoil, as this will help the streusel top and glaze from getting too sticky.
This cake freezes well for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment if you make them and love them as much as I do!
Carrot Cake Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) neutral oil I used coconut oil
- 1½ cups (192 g) carrots (2 large carrots) grated or finely shredded
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt
- 1½ teaspoon (1 teaspoon) cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) nutmeg
- pinch of cloves
- 1¾ cups (245 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (120 g) buttermilk room temperature
Streusel
- ½ cup (62.5 g) flour
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon (1 teaspoon) cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) salt
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Glaze
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla
- ½-1 tablespoon (-0.5 tablespoon) milk
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan or spring form pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together carrots, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix all together.
- Add dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Followed by buttermilk.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
- Mix all the streusel toppings together in a small bowl until crumbly. Spread evenly over the cake batter.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
- Mix together the glaze until runny enough to drizzle. Drizzle over the top of the cooled cake. Cut and serve.
Sandy
This would be the best treat for Easter breakfast! I love this moist and flavorful carrot coffee cake! The streusel topping and glaze are perfect too! Thanks for another great treat!
Bailey
This recipe is perfect for an Easter brunch!! So yummy and easy to make!