This carrot cake coffee cake is a warmly spiced, extra-moist cake studded with finely grated carrots and finished with a buttery cinnamon streusel. It’s an easy, no-mixer recipe you can have ready in under an hour.
If you love both carrot cake and coffee cake, this hits the mark: tender crumb, a crisp buttery topping and a light vanilla glaze to finish. Aside from grating the carrots, the batter comes together quickly with just a bowl and a whisk.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Moist and tender: Carrots, oil and buttermilk keep the crumb soft and moist.
- Comforting flavor: Warm spices complement the sweetness without an overpowering carrot taste.
- No mixer needed: This recipe is simple — a bowl and a whisk are all you need.
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Carrots: Grate finely so they distribute evenly in the batter. Leftovers can be used in muffins or other bakes.
- Oil: Neutral oils like canola, vegetable or avocado work well; coconut oil adds a subtle coconut note if you prefer.
- Sugars: This recipe uses granulated sugar, brown sugar for depth, and powdered sugar for the glaze.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream thinned slightly with milk are suitable substitutes.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan by spraying and lining the bottom with parchment.
- Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together grated carrots, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until combined.
- Step 3: Add the dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices — then stir in the buttermilk until the batter is smooth.
- Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Step 5: Combine the streusel ingredients (flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and melted butter) until crumbly, then sprinkle evenly over the batter.
- Step 6: Bake 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Step 7: Whisk powdered sugar with vanilla and enough milk to reach a drizzleable consistency. Drizzle over the cooled cake, slice and serve.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room-temperature ingredients (eggs, buttermilk) for the best texture and even baking.
- Grate carrots by hand or use a food processor shredding disk for quick results.
- If you prefer, skip the glaze and dust the cake with powdered sugar instead.
FAQ
Peeling is optional, but I prefer to peel carrots before grating for a smoother texture.
Yes. Bake in a loaf pan or an 8- or 9-inch square pan; bake times will be longer — expect 45–55 minutes for a loaf.
A sunken center usually means the cake wasn’t fully baked. Make sure the center isn’t jiggly and that a toothpick comes out clean before removing it from the oven.
Storing & Freezing
Store the cake at room temperature in an airtight container. Wrapping in foil helps protect the streusel and glaze from becoming sticky.
Freeze wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw completely at room temperature before serving.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
-
Chocolate Chip Potato Chip Cookies
-
Strawberry Doodle Cookies
-
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
-
Strawberry Snack Cake
For more treats, follow @thesaltedsweets on Instagram and tag your photos if you make this cake — I’d love to see them!
Carrot Cake Coffee Cake
Brooke Homec
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup neutral oil (I used coconut oil)
- 1½ cups finely grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of cloves
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
Streusel
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½–1 tablespoon milk, as needed to thin
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray and line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together carrots, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, then stir in buttermilk until combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Combine streusel ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle evenly over the batter.
- Bake 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until drizzleable. Drizzle over the cooled cake, slice and serve.
Notes
You can bake this as a loaf; increase baking time to 45–55 minutes. For best results, use room-temperature ingredients. If you like nuts, fold in a cup of chopped nuts to the batter or add a handful to the streusel.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 60 g
Protein: 5 g
Fat: 16 g
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!