Tender, warmly spiced, and topped with a buttery streusel crumb, this Carrot Coffee Cake is the perfect mash-up of classic carrot cake and breakfast coffee cake. Every bite delivers comforting flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweet carrots — all balanced by a delightfully crunchy topping.
Origin Carrot Coffee Cake
This recipe combines old-fashioned carrot cake—known for using grated carrots to add moisture—with the American-style coffee cake topped with crumbly streusel. It’s a cozy bake that feels both nostalgic and special.
What I Love About This Recipe
It’s simple to mix by hand, stays moist for days, and doubles as breakfast or dessert. The crumb topping and optional glaze take it over the top!
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Carrot Coffee Cake
Course: Dessert, Breakfast, BrunchCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes40
minutes380
kcalCarrot Coffee Cake blends the cozy warmth of classic coffee cake with the wholesome sweetness of carrot cake. Moist and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, it’s often layered with a buttery streusel topping and sometimes finished with a light glaze or cream cheese drizzle. Perfect for spring mornings, afternoon tea, or anytime you crave a comforting slice with your coffee.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
2 cups finely grated carrots
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup powdered sugar
2–3 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan or a 9-inch round springform pan.
- Make the streusel: In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or your fingers until it forms coarse crumbs. Set aside.
- Make the cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In another bowl, whisk oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in sour cream.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in grated carrots.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the top.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a rack.
- Make the glaze (if using): Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Notes
- For extra crunch, add ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel.
- Cake keeps well covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerated up to 4 days.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
