Carrot Walnut Bundt Cake — Full Recipe

by September 17, 2026
9 minutes read

The picture appears to show a moist carrot-and-walnut Bundt cake, with finely grated carrots, chopped walnuts, warm cinnamon, and a light powdered-sugar finish. The exact original recipe cannot be established from the photo alone, so the recipe below is a tested-style version designed to give a very similar result. Carrot-walnut Bundt recipes commonly use oil for moisture and bake around 175–180°C for roughly 45–60 minutes.
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Epicurious
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Yield
1 large 10-inch Bundt cake

About 12–16 slices

Preparation: 20–25 minutes

Baking: 50–60 minutes

Cooling: at least 1 hour

Ingredients
For the cake
Ingredient Amount
All-purpose/plain 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
Granulated sugar ¾ cup / 150 g
Brown sugar ¾ cup / 150 g
Vegetable/canola oil 1¼ cups / 300 ml
Large eggs 4
Vanilla extract 2 tsp
Fresh carrots, finely grated 3 cups / about 300–330 g
Walnuts, chopped 1 cup / about 110–120 g
Raisins ½ cup, optional

The combination of fresh carrots, walnuts, cinnamon and oil is consistent with established carrot-Bundt recipes.
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Epicurious
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Optional finishing
Powdered/icing sugar: 2–3 tbsp

OR cream-cheese glaze, recipe below

Extra toasted walnuts: 2–3 tbsp

Step-by-Step Method
1. Prepare the carrots
Peel and wash the carrots.

Grate them finely or medium-finely.

Do not cook the carrots.

If they are extremely wet, gently squeeze or blot them with paper towel. You want moist carrots, but not a bowl full of carrot juice.

Important: Measure the carrots after grating.

2. Prepare the walnuts
For better flavor, lightly toast the walnuts.

Spread walnuts on a baking tray.

Toast at 170°C / 340°F for about 6–8 minutes.

Cool completely.

Chop into small pieces.

Don’t burn them—the walnuts should smell fragrant and lightly toasted.

You can also use raw walnuts.

3. Prepare the Bundt pan
Generously grease a 10-inch/10–12-cup Bundt pan.

Pay particular attention to all the grooves.

Dust lightly with flour and tap out the excess.

This is important because Bundt cakes can stick easily.
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My Baking Addiction

4. Preheat the oven
Set the oven to:

175°C / 350°F

Place the rack around the center of the oven.

5. Mix the dry ingredients
In a bowl, whisk together:

flour

baking powder

baking soda

cinnamon

nutmeg

ginger

salt

Set aside.

6. Mix the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk:

oil + white sugar + brown sugar

Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition.

Add vanilla.

Mix until everything is well combined.

You don’t need to whip this like a sponge cake.

7. Combine
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.

Mix only until the flour disappears.

Do not aggressively beat the batter.

Overmixing can make the cake heavier.

8. Add carrots and walnuts
Fold in:

grated carrots

chopped walnuts

raisins, if using

Use a spatula and fold gently until evenly distributed.

9. Fill the Bundt pan
Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.

Smooth the surface.

Tap the pan gently on the counter once or twice to remove large air pockets.

Don’t fill the pan all the way to the top; leave room for expansion.

10. Bake
Bake at:

175°C / 350°F for approximately 50–60 minutes.

Start checking around 45–50 minutes, because ovens and pan sizes vary.

Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the thickest part.

It’s ready when:
the skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs

the top springs back lightly

the cake has pulled slightly away from the sides

the center no longer looks wet

Comparable carrot Bundt recipes use approximately 50–60 minutes at 350°F, while individual recipes can vary depending on pan and batter.
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Epicurious
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11. Cooling — VERY IMPORTANT
Remove the cake from the oven.

Leave it in the Bundt pan for approximately 15–20 minutes.

Then carefully invert it onto a wire rack.

Allow it to cool completely before glazing.

Don’t cut it while very hot—the crumb can seem undercooked even when the cake is actually done.

Cream Cheese Glaze
This is especially good if you want the cake to look like a bakery-style carrot cake.

Ingredients
Cream cheese: 115 g / 4 oz, softened

Butter: 1 tbsp / 14 g, softened

Powdered sugar: 1½ cups / about 180 g

Vanilla: ½ tsp

Milk: 2–4 tbsp

Pinch of salt

Method
Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.

Add powdered sugar gradually.

Add vanilla and salt.

Add milk one tablespoon at a time.

Stop when you have a thick but pourable glaze.

Drizzle over the completely cooled cake.

Finish with chopped walnuts and/or a light dusting of powdered sugar.

ALL ABOUT THE NUTS
Why walnuts?
Walnuts give the cake:

crunchy texture

buttery flavor

slight bitterness that balances the sweetness

additional richness

a pleasant contrast with soft carrots

1 cup / 110–120 g is a good amount for this cake.
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sipthesoup.com

Best walnut size
Don’t grind them into powder.

Aim for pieces around 5–8 mm.

Very large pieces can make slicing difficult, while very fine walnuts disappear into the batter.

Should walnuts be toasted?
Yes, preferably.

Toasting gives considerably more aroma and crunch.

Cool them before adding them to the batter.

Can I use other nuts?
Absolutely.

Nut Result
Walnut Classic, slightly earthy
Pecan Sweeter and buttery
Almond Mild, slightly firmer crunch
Hazelnut Rich and aromatic
Pistachio Different flavor and attractive color
Cashew Mild and creamy

For a classic carrot cake, walnuts or pecans are particularly suitable.

Nut Allergy Information
This recipe contains walnuts.

If serving someone with a tree-nut allergy:

Don’t simply remove the walnuts if cross-contact is a concern.

Use a nut-free alternative only if the other ingredients and preparation area are also safe.

Check packaged ingredients such as flour, chocolate, cream cheese and powdered sugar for relevant allergen statements.

Don’t use a shared knife, cutting board, mixer or container that has been contaminated with nuts.

For a completely nut-free cake, you can simply omit the walnuts when there is no allergy/cross-contact concern.

Raisins — Optional
Raisins aren’t necessary, but they work very well.

Use:

½ cup / about 75 g

For especially soft raisins:

Put raisins in a bowl.

Cover with hot water.

Leave for 10 minutes.

Drain thoroughly.

Pat dry.

Fold into the batter.

This prevents dry, chewy raisins. Soaking raisins before adding them is also used in other carrot-Bundt recipes.
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Lei Shishak
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Important Carrot Questions
Should I squeeze all the liquid from the carrots?
No.

Carrots provide moisture.

Only blot or lightly squeeze them if they’re exceptionally watery.

Can I use packaged shredded carrots?
Freshly grated carrots are preferable because packaged shreds can be thicker and drier.
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sipthesoup.com

Fine or coarse grating?
For the cake shown, I’d use fine-to-medium grating.

Very coarse carrot strands can remain more noticeable in the finished crumb.

Recipe Q&A
Q: Why did my cake become dry?
Possible causes:

too much flour

overbaking

insufficient oil

carrots were unusually dry

flour was packed into measuring cups

For best accuracy, use the gram measurements.

Q: Why did my cake sink?
Common reasons include:

opening the oven too early

too much liquid

too much baking soda/powder

underbaking

overmixing

excessive batter in the Bundt pan

Don’t open the oven unnecessarily during the first part of baking.

Q: Why did the cake stick to the Bundt pan?
Usually because the pan wasn’t thoroughly greased, particularly inside the decorative grooves.

Grease carefully and dust with flour.

Let the cake rest about 15–20 minutes after baking before turning it out.

Q: Can I use butter instead of oil?
Yes.

However, oil gives carrot cake a particularly moist texture. That’s one reason many carrot cake recipes use vegetable/olive oil rather than butter.
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Epicurious
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For a buttery version, replace the 300 ml oil with approximately 340 g melted butter, but the texture will be somewhat different.

Q: Can I reduce the sugar?
Yes, but don’t reduce it dramatically.

Try:

120 g white sugar

120 g brown sugar

The cake will be less sweet and somewhat less moist.

Q: Can I use only brown sugar?
Yes.

Use approximately 300 g brown sugar.

The cake will have a deeper caramel/molasses flavor and darker color.

Q: Can I use jaggery?
Yes. Finely grated jaggery can work well in carrot cake; it gives a more caramel-like flavor.
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Recipe52.com

Because jaggery varies considerably in moisture and sweetness, the final texture can differ from the recipe made with granulated sugar.

Q: Can I make it without eggs?
Yes, but the recipe needs reformulation rather than simply removing the eggs.

A practical egg-free version can use an appropriate commercial egg replacer or another tested eggless carrot-cake formula.

Q: Can I make it without walnuts?
Yes.

Simply omit them for a carrot cake without nuts.

You can add another ½ cup raisins if desired, although this will make the cake sweeter.

Q: Can I use pecans?
Yes—replace walnuts 1:1 by weight, approximately 110–120 g.

Q: Can I add pineapple?
Yes.

For crushed pineapple, drain it very thoroughly before adding it. Otherwise the additional liquid can change the baking time and texture.

Q: Can I add coconut?
Yes.

Add approximately ½ cup / 40–45 g unsweetened shredded coconut.

Q: Can I add cardamom?
Yes. For a South Asian-style variation, try:

½ tsp ground cardamom

with the cinnamon.

Q: Can I make this in a round cake pan?
Yes.

The baking time will change because the batter depth is different. Start checking substantially earlier than you would for a deep Bundt pan.

Q: Can I make cupcakes?
Yes.

Fill cupcake liners about ⅔ full and begin checking around 18–25 minutes, depending on size and oven.

Storage
Room temperature
An unfrosted cake can generally be kept covered at room temperature for about 2 days.

Refrigerator
With cream-cheese glaze/frosting, refrigerate in a covered container.

Allow slices to sit at room temperature for a short time before serving for the best texture.

Freezer
The unfrosted cake freezes well.

Cool completely.

Wrap tightly.

Place in a freezer-safe bag/container.

Freeze for up to about 2–3 months for best quality.

Thaw completely before decorating.

Approximate Nutrition
Nutrition depends heavily on the exact ingredients, slice size and whether frosting is used.

For the cake itself, assuming 14 slices and 1 cup walnuts:

Calories: roughly 400–450 kcal/slice

Carbohydrates: roughly 50–55 g

Protein: roughly 6–7 g

Fat: roughly 22–25 g

Fiber: roughly 2–3 g

Adding cream-cheese frosting increases the calories, sugar and fat.

These are estimates, not laboratory nutritional values; a comparable carrot-walnut recipe reports about 463 kcal per serving with its own ingredient quantities.
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Recipe52.com

My Recommended Version for the Cake in Your Photo
For the closest overall style, I’d use:

2¼ cups flour + 3 cups finely grated carrots + 1¼ cups oil + ¾ cup white sugar + ¾ cup brown sugar + 4 eggs + 1 cup toasted walnuts + 2 tsp cinnamon + ½ tsp nutmeg + ½ tsp ginger.

Bake in a well-greased 10-inch Bundt pan at 175°C/350°F for about 50–60 minutes, cool completely, then finish with powdered sugar if you want the simple look in the photograph—or a thin cream-cheese glaze for a richer version.
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sipthesoup.com
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5 secrets for a moist cake
Freshly grate the carrots.

Don’t remove all their moisture.

Use oil rather than reducing the fat.

Don’t overmix after adding flour.

Don’t overbake—start testing around 45–50 minutes.

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Sara Mitchell is an expert restaurant content creator who writes easy-to-read guides about CAVA and other Mediterranean fast-casual chains in the United States. She covers locations, menus, prices, and hours, making it simple for visitors to find nearby restaurants and what to order quickly. With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.

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