Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Filling

written by Vera Z. February 23, 2025

8 Shares

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·Leave a Review

You will love this easy recipe for moist, and decadent, homemade Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Filling recipe. A blend of spices (cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg), sweet and tangy cream cheese filling, and streusel crumb topping make this carrot cake ideal for brunch, dessert, or any special occasion.

Sliced carrot cake loaf with a creamy cheesecake filling, topped with a crumbly streusel and drizzled with icing. The golden-brown cake contains visible shredded carrots, nuts, and raisins, resting on a parchment-lined surface with pecans scattered around.

Adapted from Mini Carrot Cake Cheesecakes and Carrot Cake Coffee Cake, this Carrot Cake Loaf is delicious, sweet, and supremely moist homemade bread. It’s a perfect excuse to eat dessert for breakfast. No matter when you serve it this loaf will disappear fast, just like my Cream Cheese Banana Bread with Crumb Topping.

What makes this Carrot Cake Loaf Unique

It is wonderfully spiced, flavorful, and very moist.
This carrot cake loaf is like classic carrot cake, just baked in a loaf pan. Maybe it’s better to name it carrot cake pound cake.
If you skip the filling and streusel crumb topping you will have a lightly sweetened, but delicious quick bread like my favorite Cinnamon Apple Bread Recipe.
It’s easy to adjust the recipe to your taste. Add chopped walnuts, pecans, or raisins, or simply skip it if it’s not to your taste.
You can substitute the type of sugar to your taste. Substitute the amount of brown sugar with white granulated sugar or coconut sugar. Or use just brown sugar instead of white granulated sugar. But keep in mind that brown sugar makes the loaf moist, but dense.

Close-up of a sliced carrot cake loaf with a creamy cheesecake filling, topped with a crumbly streusel and drizzled with icing. The golden-brown cake is packed with shredded carrots, nuts, and raisins. A blue mug with heart patterns and a jar of pecans sit in the blurred background, along with cinnamon sticks.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Filling Quick Overview:

Basic Ingredients: For this recipe, you will need all-purpose flour, sugar, light brown sugar, oil, sour cream, baking powder, salt, blend of spices (cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg), cream cheese, and carrots. These are all basic ingredients that you probably have on hand.
Skill Level-Easy, beginner recipe: It is easy to throw together by people with little to no cooking experience. This recipe is super simple but sure to be a huge hit for anyone who gets a bite!
Texture: This Carrot Cake Loaf or Carrot cake pound Cake with cream cheese filling is like the cake baked in a loaf pan. The cake is soft, and the crumbs are super moist. Tangy cheesecake filling is velvety smooth. Cinnamon streusel crumbs on top add a perfect touch and a crunchy texture.
Flavor: The stars of the show are carrots and a blend of spices. Brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and freshly grated carrots make a perfect flavor punch in every single bite.

A freshly baked carrot cake loaf with a creamy cheesecake filling, topped with a crumbly streusel and drizzled with icing.

How to Make Carrot Cake Loaf- Step-by-Step Baking Instructions

Prepare cinnamon streusel: In a small bowl whisk together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and whisk with a fork to make coarse crumbs, then set aside.

A two-part image showing the process of making streusel topping. On the left, a white bowl contains flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, next to a smaller bowl of melted butter. On the right, the mixed ingredients form a crumbly streusel in a bowl with a fork.

Make the cheesecake filling: beat softened cream cheese, vanilla, egg, sugar, and flour on low speed just to combine.

On the left, ingredients are displayed: a bowl of cream cheese, a small bottle of vanilla extract, a bowl of flour and sugar, and a separate bowl with a cracked egg. On the right, the ingredients are mixed into a smooth, creamy cheesecake batter in a glass bowl.

To make the carrot cake mixture:
- in a small bowl whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine egg, sugar, light, brown sugar, vanilla, oil, and sour cream, and whisk well to combine. Using a rubber spatula fold in grated carrots.
- Add dry ingredients mixture and mix with a spatula to combine evenly. Finely, fold in chopped pecans or walnuts if using.

A four-step process of assembling a carrot cake loaf with cream cheese filling.

Assemble the loaf: spread half of the carrot cake batter in a prepared pan. Using a spoon dollop cream cheese filling and smooth with the back of the spoon. Spread the remaining carrot cake filling over the cream cheese. Sprinkle the top with streusel topping.
Bake: in a preheated oven for about 55-65 minutes. Tent the top with aluminum foil after 25-30 minutes if it starts browning too much.

Tips And Tricks for Perfect Carrot Cake:

When baking with carrots, make sure to shred whole carrots at home. Do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are dry and hard. Freshly shredded carrots are wet, and that’s essential moisture for your carrot loaf!
This recipe requires at least 8 cups volume loaf pan. You have to use a 9x5x2 ½ inches loaf pan. If using a smaller loaf pan it might not fit for this amount of carrot cake batter, plus cream cheese filling and streusel crumb topping.

Love Baking With Carrots? Try These Easy Recipes:

Carrot Cake Cheesecake
- it is a delicious twist on a classic Easter dessert (carrot cake), especially for those cheesecake fans out there. Moist layers of carrot cake swirled with creamy cheesecake, topped with tangy but sweet cream cheese frosting, will be the perfect ending to Easter dinner.
Carrot Cake Coffee Cake
- a delicious combo of carrot cake, coffee cake, and cheesecake. Moist and flavorful carrot cake topped with a cheesecake layer and the crunchy cinnamon streusel crumb topping is perfect for Easter brunch or any spring breakfast or snack.
Mini Carrot Cake Cheesecakes
- moist carrot cake with a generous layer of cheesecake filling in the center and irresistible, sweet, and crunchy brown sugar-cinnamon streusel crumbs on top.
Carrot Cake Poke Cake
- Filled with white chocolate pudding and topped with cream cheese frosting, this super moist carrot cake is over-the-top delicious!
Carrot Cake Muffins
- These moist muffins with smooth cream cheese filling inside and crunchy cinnamon streusel on top are a delicious breakfast, snack, or dessert.