YaYa’s Bundt Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 2 cups finely grated carrots – about 3 medium-sized carrots
- 1 cup canned pineapple – Blended drain the liquid from the can before blending.
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1½ cups light brown sugar – firmly packed
- 3 large eggs – room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1¾ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ cup plain yogurt I use low fat Greek yogurt. Room temperature.
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts – chopped
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp unsalted butter – melted
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup cream cheese – room temp
Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Preheat oven to (350°F)
- Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan, or use a baking spray or cake release that has flour in it Peel and finely grate carrots. Set aside.
- Drain liquid from pineapple then blend.
- In a separate bowl, sift together your flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Using a whisk, mix until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine your soft brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, yogurt and crushed pineapple. Mix until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold together until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add in the grated carrots and walnuts and/or pecans. Using a spatula, gently fold through until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top as best you can. Give the pan a little shake to help the batter settle into all the corners, then tap it lightly on the counter twice to release any large air bubbles.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Once ready, allow the cake to cool in the cake tin for 45 minutes, before turning it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling
Cream Cheese Glaze
- In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and cream cheese.
- Using a hand or stand mixer on a low speed, mix until well combined and smooth. The glaze should be thick in consistency.
- Once the bundt cake is completely cool, pour the glaze evenly over the top of the cake.
Yaya’s Tips for Success
This moist and fragrant carrot bundt cake gets its rich flavor from warm spices, crushed pineapple, and a touch of Greek yogurt. It’s the kind of cake that makes folks pause mid-bite and say, “What is that delicious flavor?” The glaze is the perfect sweet finish, tangy and smooth, and pours beautifully over the top of the cake. Be sure to let the cake cool in the pan before transferring to a rack so it doesn’t fall apart.
- Blend your canned pineapple well but don’t forget to drain it first. Too much liquid will make the batter heavy.
- Use a fine grater for your carrots so they cook evenly into the batter.
- Tap the pan on the counter a couple times before baking to release any large air bubbles.
- Let the cake cool fully before glazing so it doesn’t melt off.
- If you’re out of Greek yogurt, sour cream can be swapped in with great results.
Yaya’s Customization Ideas
I’ve played around with this one a few times over the years, and you can easily make it your own.
- For those who don’t care for nuts, just leave them out.
- If you want a little more texture and flavor, golden raisins or shredded coconut can be folded in with the carrots and pineapple.
- A dusting of powdered sugar is just fine in place of the glaze if you want to keep it simple, but that glaze is so good it’s hard to pass up.
You could pair this with something savory from the site like my Chuck Wagon Wraps or lighten things up with Western Broccoli Salad to round out a brunch table.
Yaya’s Original Recipe Card
