This is an easy recipe for a moist Carrot & Apple Loaf topped with sweet cream cheese frosting. The delicious loaf is full of fresh apples, carrots, and pecan nuts, and is perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Why You Will Love This Homemade Apple Carrot Loaf Recipe
This simple spiced apple carrot loaf is easy to make and will leave your house smelling delicious. It is made with lots of fresh apples and carrots along with pecan nuts and warm spices.
This loaf is perfectly soft and moist. Baking with fresh carrots and apples not only adds yummy texture and natural sweetness, but they also add a lot of moisture that it’s impossible to have a dry loaf!
This sweet, spiced loaf is then topped with creamy frosting which complements the loaf perfectly. The apple carrot loaf is deliciously moist and is full of flavor and texture that makes for a perfect sweet treat in the afternoon or as a simple tasty dessert.
If you are looking for more loaf recipes to try, check out my Pumpkin Loaf with Cream Cheese Glaze.
Ingredients You'll Need & Notes
This loaf is filled with lots of yummy ingredients that are easy to find. It is a simple recipe that uses pantry staple basics along with apples, carrots, and nuts.
The ingredients you will need are:
- Butter. Adds richness to the loaf and keeps it moist.
- Packed brown sugar. Gives the loaf a rich sweetness.
- Oil. I like to use vegetable oil or canola oil. But you can also use any other light oil that you prefer best such as coconut oil or avocado oil.
- Eggs. Room-temperature eggs are best for baking.
- Whole milk. You can also use any other milk you best prefer, including dairy-free milk alternatives like almond milk or oat milk.
- Vanilla extract. Enhances the flavor of the baked loaf.
- Apples. I used fresh red apples to make my loaf, but any type of apple will work for this loaf recipe.
- Carrots. Freshly grated carrot keeps the loaf moist and gives it delicious flavor and texture.
- Pecan nuts. You can substitute the pecan nuts with walnuts if preferred!
- Baking powder. Gives the loaf a light and soft texture.
- All-purpose flour. This can be substituted with a 1:1 gluten-free flour if you want to make this a gluten-free recipe.
- Ground cinnamon & ground nutmeg. Gives the loaf a delicious spiced taste.
How To Make Spiced Carrot & Apple Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
This is a simple loaf recipe that you can make in minutes. It is easy to make and is almost foolproof. To make this homemade carrot-apple loaf follow the step-by-step instructions below:
STEP ONE
Prepare oven and loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 180C/375F and line a loaf pan with baking paper. Leave an overhang of baking paper on each side of the loaf tin to make it easier to remove the loaf once it has finished baking.
STEP TWO
Cream butter, sugar, and oil. Place the butter, packed brown sugar, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until they are light and creamy. This should take about 3 minutes.
STEP THREE
Mix in the remaining wet ingredients. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk and continue to mix until well combined.
STEP FOUR
Fold in carrots, apples, and nuts. Add the carrots, apples, and pecans and use a wooden spoon to fold them into the batter until just combined.
STEP FIVE
Combine dry ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
STEP SIX
Mix wet and dry together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful to not over-mix the batter.
STEP SEVEN
Add batter to loaf pan. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and use a spoon or spatula to spread the batter out evenly.
STEP EIGHT
Bake the loaf. Place the loaf in the centre of the oven and bake for 60 - 85 minutes, or until golden and a fork inserted comes out clean.
STEP NINE
Allow the loaf to cool. Remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool before frosting it and serving.
Recipe FAQ's
Does Apple Bread need to be refrigerated?
Apple bread does not need to be refrigerated. Apple bread will stay fresh for up to 4 days in a sealed airtight container at room temperature. Alternatively, you can freeze your loaf of apple bread in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat the loaf, remove it from the freezer and allow it to reach room temperature before serving.
Why is my apple bread dense?
Over-mixing the apple bread batter can result in an overly dense loaf, so be sure to not overmix your batter. Also, it is important to use fresh baking powder when baking your loaf. Using old baking powder will result in a dense apple bread loaf.
How do you grate carrots for carrot apple cake?
It is best to finely grate carrots when baking with carrots. This is because the carrots then soften quickly during the baking process. If you prefer more texture in your loaf you can use thicker grated carrots. To grate carrots for carrot cake, select the finest holes on a cheese grater and shred the carrots carefully. Alternatively, attach a shredding blade to a food processor to grate the carrots faster.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes! Simply double the ingredients and bake in two seperate loaf pans. I love to do this and then freeze the one loaf to enjoy at a later time.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
To Store Apple Loaf: You can enjoy this apple loaf cake for up to 3 days after baking if stored at room temperature. Store the bread in an airtight container to best retain its moisture. If you store your apple loaf in the fridge, it will be able to stay fresh for up to a week.
To Freeze Apple Loaf: This apple loaf freezes well and it can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can freeze it with or without the cream cheese frosting. To defrost the loaf, simply remove it from the freezer and allow it to reach room temperature before enjoying.
More yummy cake recipes to try:
- Ginger Sponge Cake
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Maple Syrup Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Apple Loaf Cake with Caramel Sauce
Carrot & Apple Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
An easy recipe for a moist Carrot & Apple Loaf topped with sweet cream cheese frosting. This delicious loaf is full of fresh apples, carrots, pecan nuts, and is perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Ingredients
For the loaf:
- - 120g butter, room temperature
- - 190g packed brown sugar
- - 40 ml vegetable or canola oil
- - 2 eggs
- - 120ml whole milk
- - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- - 160g grated red apples
- - 160g grated carrots
- - 60g pecans, chopped
- - ½ teaspoon salt
- - 2 teaspoon baking powder
- - 290g all-purpose flour
- - 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the frosting:
- - 320g cream cheese, room temperature
- - ¼ cup powdered sugar (add more if desired)
- - 1 teaspoon vanilla powder/extract
- - ¼ cup chopped pecans (for topping)
Instructions
For the loaf:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/375F and line the loaf pan with baking paper, leaving an overhang on each side to make it easier to remove the loaf once baked.
2. Place the butter, packed brown sugar, and oil in a mixing bowl. Use an electric beater to whisk the butter until light and creamy.
3. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk and continue to mix.
4. Add the carrots, apples, and pecans and mix until just combined.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
7. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and spread the batter out evenly.
8. Bake the loaf for 60 - 85 minutes or until golden and a fork inserted comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
1. Place all the ingredients (except the nuts) in a mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until soft and fluffy.
2. Once the loaf has cooled, top the loaf with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle the top with nuts.
3. Serve with a little extra frosting on the side, if desired.
Notes
Apple bread will stay fresh for up to 4 days in a sealed airtight container at room temperature.
Alternatively, you can freeze your loaf of apple bread in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, remove the loaf from the freezer and allow it to reach room temperature before serving.
I hope you love this Carrot & Apple Loaf recipe as much as I do! And if you want to see more of my delicious food adventures, follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
This post was made in collaboration with Le Creuset SA.
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