Here’s to a glorious mash-up of two desserts! This carrot Bundt cake is rich, tender, and flavorful just like my original carrot cake recipe and rippled through each slice is a creamy swirl of cheesecake. A 12-15 cup capacity tube pan is ideal for this large cake.
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, more helpful success tips, and simplified instructions.
At first thought, putting vegetables in cake makes as much sense as cheese in apple pie. Hmm. There’s something here that doesn’t belong. But after you have a slice of today’s carrot Bundt cake, your mind may be swayed. Carrots are a sweeter vegetable—they’re excellent roasted with brown sugar sauce or warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. When grated or shredded, carrots release a lot of moisture which directly transfers into your baked cake.
Carrot cake is a popular choice because when done right, it’s super moist, flavorful, and tender! And when you have something as thick and heavy as Bundt cake, moisture is most certainly favorable.
One reader, Teri, commented: “Oh my!!! Love this recipe. So delicious even though I didn’t have pecans or walnuts, so I added raisins. Definitely will be my new go-to recipe, thank you. ★★★★★“
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Cheesecake Swirl Carrot Bundt Cake
- Cake is generously spiced with ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- It’s moist without being overly wet and greasy.
- Add-ins like chopped nuts and/or raisins add flavor, but are optional.
- Excellent plain, but you can garnish with vanilla or orange glaze.
- No complicated assembly required.
- It’s like carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, only inside out!
What’s the skill level? A beginner baker can absolutely handle this, but there are a few steps requiring your focus. This carrot cake batter is as simple as whisking and folding a bunch of ingredients together. You need a mixer for the cheesecake layer. And since we’re not creaming butter and sugar together, the carrot cake batter can be made by hand.
Key Ingredients in Carrot Bundt Cake
- Oil: Butter is great in cakes, but it can’t compete with oil’s lasting moisture. A lot of big cakes including pumpkin cake and chocolate cake do not rely on butter’s flavor and use oil instead.
- Brown Sugar: I tried to love carrot Bundt cake made with all or some white granulated sugar, but nothing compares to carrot Bundt cake made with all brown sugar. In such a big, heavy, essentially-upside-down cake, you want all the moisture you can get. End of story on that one!
- Eggs: This is a big cake and therefore requires 4 eggs in the batter for proper structure. You also need 1 egg in the cheesecake swirl. To ensure the batter comes together easily and evenly, bring any cold ingredients to room temperature first.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: Surprisingly, oil, brown sugar, eggs, and carrots don’t supply enough moisture to really make this an over-the-top tender cake. More oil lends a greasy cake, so add some moisture that will complement the other flavors. Unsweetened applesauce is KEY in this recipe and I swear by it in this carrot cake loaf as well. Another popular choice is crushed canned pineapple, an addition we all love in pineapple carrot cake!
- Baking Spices: Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves make a powerhouse pack of spices. I use a careful ratio of these spices because it’s easy to go overboard. Ginger adds a delicious zing and I swear by it in my regular carrot cake, too. Nutmeg and cloves can be overpowering, so use only 1/4 teaspoon of each.
- Carrots: Make sure you’re grating or shredding your own carrots rather than buying pre-shredded carrots. Why? Store-bought shredded carrots are usually very dry in comparison. When you grate carrots yourself, notice how wet they are—this is GOOD because it moistens the cake. There’s a difference between grating (small pieces) and shredding (larger pieces), but either are fine for this recipe. I usually shred large peeled carrots with a box grater and then give the shreds a rough chop with a knife. I recommend grating or shredding your own carrots in all of my carrot-cake inspired recipes, including this 1 layer carrot cake.
- Brick Cream Cheese: Not all cream cheese products are the same. In today’s cheesecake swirl, cream cheese frosting, and even regular cheesecake, it’s in your best interest to use full-fat brick cream cheese and not the kind you spread on homemade bagels.
You also need pantry staples like flour, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla extract. If you’re up for trying something new, add fresh orange zest like I recommend in the recipe below. Sounds odd, but it absolutely works and the flavors really come together if you choose an orange glaze for garnish.
How Do I Make Cheesecake Swirl Carrot Bundt Cake?
It’s really easy and let me show you.
Make your carrot cake batter by whisking the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately and then combining. At this point, you can fold in your chopped nuts and/or raisins. I used chopped pecans in the pictured Bundt cake. Spread half of the batter into your greased Bundt pan.
Make your cheesecake batter with room temperature brick cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and do your best to spread on top of the cake batter. Try to avoid spreading the cheesecake batter all the way out to the edges of the pan.
Spread remaining carrot cake batter on top and gently swirl with a knife:
Gorgeous! Each slice is already pretty and you barely had to do any “decorating.”
Between all the flavor, texture, cheesecake, glaze, and moist carrot cake texture—your taste buds won’t even know what happened to them. This is most definitely the impressive spring, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, brunch, birthday, no-occasion-necessary dessert masterpiece we all need! If you’re looking for Easter dessert ideas, consider this Bundt cake your answer 🙂
Bundt Cake Success Tips
- Select a lighter-colored Bundt pan: Darker cake pans often mean a darker cake that can quickly over-cook on the edges.
- Capacity: Because of how much this cake rises, any tube pan holding 10 cups or less is not large enough. Look for 12-15 cup capacity.
- My favorites: I love and use Nordic Ware. (Not sponsored!) I love this Bundt pan and this Bundt pan and both are large enough for today’s recipe. This fluted tube pan also works.
- Generously grease: If your cakes continuously stick to the detailed edges of your Bundt pan, your pan is not greased enough. Even if the pan is non-stick, make sure you generously grease it.
Cheesecake Swirl Carrot Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: serves 10
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Find cheesecake swirls when you cut into this deliciously moist and perfectly spiced carrot Bundt cake! The ingredient list looks long, but most items are pantry staples and repeated in other layers of the cake. Make sure the cake cools completely before slicing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil*
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I prefer dark)
- 3/4 cup (180g) smooth unsweetened applesauce*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (can omit if desired)
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups (260g) peeled and shredded carrots* (about 4 large peeled carrots)
- optional: 1 cup (130g) roughly chopped pecans*
Cheesecake Layer
- 12 ounces (339g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Glaze (Optional)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 Tablespoons (30-45ml) fresh orange juice or milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously grease a 12-15 cup (2,839-3,548ml) capacity Bundt pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, applesauce, vanilla, and orange zest together until combined and no brown sugar lumps remain. Set aside. In another large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, fold the ingredients together until just combined. Fold in the carrots and pecans. You will have about 6 cups of batter. Pour and spread half of the batter into the bottom of the prepared Bundt pan.
- In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Beat on high speed until completely combined. Spread cream cheese mixture in an even layer on top of the carrot cake batter and try to avoid spreading it all the way to the edges of the pan. It’s a thick mixture, so do your best to spread.
- Pour and spread the remaining carrot cake batter evenly on top and then use a knife to very gently swirl the batters together.
- Bake for 55-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. This cake is large and heavy and takes quite some time to bake, so do not be discouraged if yours takes longer. Cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil if you begin to see the top browning quickly. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes inside the pan.
- After 30 minutes, invert the slightly cooled Bundt cake onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Make sure cake has cooled completely before glazing, slicing, and serving.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients together. If desired, use more liquid to thin out or more confectioners’ sugar to thicken. Drizzle over cake. Slice and serve.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake 1 day in advance. Cool completely, cover tightly, and then refrigerate until a couple hours before serving. Set out at room temperature for a couple hours before serving. It’s best to garnish with glaze close to serving the cake. To freeze, cool cake completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature if desired before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-15 Cup Bundt Pan (such as this Bundt pan, this Bundt pan, or this fluted tube pan) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Vegetable Peeler | Box Grater | Cooling Rack
- Oil: This recipe is best with vegetable oil. You can use melted and slightly cooled coconut oil if desired, but be sure that all other ingredients are room temperature so the coconut oil does not solidify before baking the batter.
- Applesauce: Instead of applesauce, you can use 3/4 cup canned crushed pineapple.
- Cream Cheese: Do not use cream cheese spread. Use brick cream cheese which is sold as 8 ounce bricks. You need 1.5 bricks since this recipe calls for 12 ounces of cream cheese.
- Pecans & Other Add Ins: You can add up to 1 and 1/4 cups add-ins to this cake. I usually use just 1 cup (130g) roughly chopped pecans. You can use raisins, chopped walnuts, and/or shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened). A combination of any works as long as the total amount isn’t over 1 and 1/4 cups. Or you can leave the cake plain without any add-ins.
- Loaf Pan: Some readers have halved this recipe and baked it in a loaf pan at the same oven temperature for about 1 hour, though my team and I have not tested it. You could also try this carrot cake loaf instead.
Reader Comments and Reviews
First…am a big fan of your recipes! How do you prevent the cream cheese filling from melting into the cake while baking? I have done other cake recipes with cream cheese filling and it always melts away.
Hi Lucianne! This could happen with different types of cream cheese that contain too much water. Are you using full fat brick style cream cheese? That’s the kind you need for this recipe.
I made this cake yesterday for Easter, without the cheesecake swirl and added the cream cheese icing from your Hummingbird Cake to drape over the top. It was a HUGE hit. Even as I was leaving the get-together, people were commenting on how delicious it was. Since most of my family are non-bakers, I’m 100% positive I’ll be asked to make this cake many more times in the future. Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this today and used a Nordic cast aluminum pan, the package said not to use a spray non stick coating, so I just oiled the pan with olive oil. The cake stuck. Should I have floured the pan as well?
Hi Joy, we usually use a non stick spray. If using oil, make sure to do so very generously. Flouring the pan could certainly help as well.
I’m hosting Easter dinner on Sunday and going to another Easter dinner on Monday. I’m providing desserts for both! I plan to make this one and your Hummingbird Bundt cake for the other.
Today is Friday, I would like to make them both today but I’m worried they may go stale before Sunday / Monday.
Should I freeze them or just wrap them and put in the fridge? Which stays fresh better?
Hi Claire, both cakes freeze well. For the cake that you choose for Sunday, you could wrap well and store in the refrigerator. For the cake that you choose for Monday, you can freeze and then thaw overnight in the refrigerator to enjoy on Monday. Hope this helps and that they are both a hit!
Such a great cake. Have both the silver and bronze pans as you do. Difficulties with sticking and not coming out of pan in one piece. How long flipped on rack before releasing and what oil do you recommend for greasing Bundt pan?
Hi Catherine! We use a generous coating of baking spray (like Pam). Let the cake cool 30 minutes in the pan, then invert and remove the pan.
Hi!
Can I substitute apple butter in for the applesauce?
Hi JoAnn, apple butter is typically much more sweetened than applesauce, but it could work in a pinch. Let us know if you give it a try!
Has anyone been successful in making this dairy-free by using a nut based cream cheese? Would love to give it a try! Thank you in advance
Can you make this recipe as cupcakes? What would cooking time be? And yield?
Hi Arlene! Here’s our carrot cake cupcakes recipe – you could definitely add a cheesecake swirl, if desired. We would use the cream cheese mixture from this zucchini muffins recipe.
Is this supposed to have pineapple in it?
Looking at reviews there is mention of pineapple, I do not see pineapple in the ingredients listed.
Hi Joy, instead of applesauce, you can use 3/4 cup canned crushed pineapple.
I have to say Sally’s recipes are the best!!! I’ve made the Lemon Blueberry Layer cake a couple of times and it’s delicious!
I was looking for a carrot cake recipe, came across this one made in a Bundt pan. I needed to be able to transport and serve easily. So, I made it into cupcakes, the taller rigid ones, iced them with cream cheese frosting (flavored with orange juice). The compliments I received for them was awesome!
They were better than the “factory” carrot cheese cake. And the baking cups were perfect to eat out of with a fork. I wish I could post a picture.
Thanks Sally and team
I made this without the cheesecake part. I really just wanted a great carrot cake and I come to you for successful outcomes! Of course it turned out great – so moist and tasty. I just did the simple glaze with fresh lemon. Delish!
I made this cake for a pot luck dinner. It was delicious. There was an air hole in the cream cheese filling of each slice. Did I do something wrong? I
did swirl it with a knife.
It didn’t matter since every bite was gone!
Hi KH, we’re so glad you loved this one! If you make it again, you could try tapping the pan on the counter a few times before baking.
Is crushed pineapple drained or undrained? Thanks
Hi Christine, You’ll want to pour off most of the extra liquid, but no need to strain out every drop!
I love the flavors of this bundt, but every time I make it, it sticks to my pan and I end up with a broken bundt. I’ve used PAM and Baker’s Joy. I’ve gotten a new pan. But same results every time — delicious but ugly. Any advice?
Hi Grace, I’ll tell you my secret for cake release. I grease with butter or light olive oil and then I put granulated sugar – maybe a quarter cup and swirl it around the bundt pan till all the surfaces are covered. I’ll even subtract this from the sugar in the cake so it doesn’t become overly sweet, but you don’t have to do that.
My mom always taught me to generously butter the pan with a paper towel. Then drop some flour in and coat the butter. Once everything is coated tap lightly over the sink to get the extra flour out.
Never had one stick on me. Hope that helps!
How do I adapt this recipe for a 6″ diameter bundt pan?
Hi Diana, you can definitely use this batter to make smaller Bundt cakes. We’re unsure of the exact bake time (all mini Bundt pans hold different amounts due to their designs) but we’d start checking the mini Bundt cakes at 20 minutes. If you’re not making multiple, you can reference this Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions post to properly scale down the recipe. Hope this helps!
Made this yesterday for a 40th birthday, it was such a hit! I loved the hit of spices and the fact that it’s not too sweet. The cream cheese swirl was such a surprise when the cake was cut. I followed the recipe as published and wouldn’t change a thing. Another fabulous recipe from Sally!
I’ve had continued struggles with my glazes. I wait until the cake is completely cool before glazing. I make sure the glaze if fairly thick. But, more than half still seems to run off and the next day, more has run off. Any advise?
Hi Deborah, some run off is completely normal. You can always add a bit more confectioners’ sugar to help thicken the glaze a bit, and/or let the glaze sit for a few minutes to thicken before adding to the cake. Hope this helps!
Can you make the cake without the cheesecake filling, but with extra cream cheese frosting on top?
Absolutely. You may love the cream cheese icing used on this hummingbird Bundt cake.
Hi Sally. I’ve used several of your recipes, especially cookies. This carrot cake with cheesecake swirl sounds very interesting.
Recipe says 3/4 cup (133g) of applesauce. Is this correct? 1 cup applesauce is 250g. Hence 3/4 cup would be approx 188g. Please confirm correct amount of applesauce for the recipe as I’ll like to make it for a July 4th party (sorry late notice).
I’m also planning to split recipe to two 6oz Bundt pans. How would I adjust the baking time & temp ? Love to hear from you. Thank you.
Hi Bien, we tested this recipe several times using both cup and gram measurements, and the 133g is correct for 3/4 cup of applesauce. (Are you using a chunkier applesauce by chance?) For smaller Bundt pans, you can use the same temperature but we’re unsure of the exact bake time, so keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Hi Sally. I’ve tried and enjoyed many of your recipes including this one, which came out perfectly the last time I made it. I’m planning to bake it for a friends birthday this time, as carrot cake is her favourite. I wanted to know if there’s a way I can add rum or similar in it for a boozy touch? I noticed in some of the comments that people had soaked raisins in rum or liqueur, but I’m looking for some way of adding it to the cake itself. Any suggestions?
Hi Ash, we haven’t tested anything, but it sounds delicious! It would take some tinkering to figure out how to best add more liquid to the cake itself (the ratio of wet:dry ingredients would need to change), but you could also try adding some rum to the optional icing. Or, you could use the glaze from this butter rum cake instead. Let us know if you try anything!
Made this cake for my parents 86 Birthday. No problems very yummy
I have matchstick carrots. Should I put them in a food processor to chop them finer
Hi Dolly! If you have fresh whole carrots, we really recommend using those, because they are much more moist than matchstick carrots. If you only have match stick carrots, yes, we would chop them finer.
Thanks. Also the recipe says to grease the pan but later mentioned pan. Do you do use the grease and flour or just grease?
We just use a baking spray like Pam to grease the pan.
Hi, can the applesauce be substituted with sour cream instead? If so, would it be the same amount? Thanks 🙂
Hi JY, if you need a substitute for applesauce, you can use 3/4 cup canned crushed pineapple instead.
This is a wonderful recipe! I didn’t have applesauce nor pineapple so I did sub sour cream, and I was great!
People loved it. This is my second bundt cake from your site. This one turned out a bit dense on near the top (above the cream cheese layer). Any thoughts on why”
Hi Gwen! Bundt cakes are meant to be more dense, especially a moist cake like a carrot cake Bundt Cake. If it was too dense, perhaps some of the moisture from the cream cheese layer seeped in while the cake was baking. Make sure to use full fat brick style cream cheese in the filling.
Hello, should the pecans be toasted or raw, or does it not matter? Thank you!
Either is fine, but we do love the flavor of toasted pecans!
Couldn’t believe how easy this cake was to make. Big hit with the family. Ready to make another one.Thanks Sally
Can you use a tube pan for this recipe? If so, what would the oven time be?
Hi Annette, we haven’t tested this Bundt cake in other cake pans, but you can certainly give it a try. A tube pan should work! Just check the size of your pan–you’ll want it to be the same size as the Bundt pan needed for this recipe (one that can hold 12-15 cups (2,839-3,548ml) of batter). Let us know if you try it!
Did you try it?? Wanting to know to maybe do this too
I made this for my extended family who loves carrot cake. I have never liked carrot cake so this was my first time trying to make one. They thought it was excellent and so did I, much to my surprise!
This recipe is BIG! It ended up being a dozen mini bundt cakes , a dozen cupcakes and a two layer cake. I used pecans, homemade applesauce and made cream cheese frosting for the cake and cupcakes.
This was tasty BUT I could taste the oil. I forgot the egg for the cream cheese but it still turned out well. I soaked the raisins in triple sec bc I didn’t have any grand manier.
How would you adjust the cooking times if you were to use mini bundt pans/ muffin pan? I’ve made this recipe several times and have yet to find another recipe that tops this one! I really want to make single serve portions for my office.
Hi Emily, you can definitely use this batter to make mini Bundt cakes. We’re unsure of the exact bake time (it will depend on the exact size of your mini Bundts), but you can use the baking time for these mini vanilla pound cakes as a guide. Hope they’re a hit at your office!
Hey there! Do you think pumpkin purée would work as a substitute for apple sauce? Thinking about making this for (Canadian) Thanksgiving and thinking it might give it that extra bit of fall flavour!
Hi Kelly! We’ve only tested this particular recipe with applesauce and crushed pineapple, but we imagine pumpkin puree should work just fine here. Please do let us know if you give it a try!
Hello! Does the cake need to be refrigerated overnight if I made it in the morning and plan on serving it the next day?
Hi Kelsey, with the cream cheese layer, we’d recommend storing in the refrigerator overnight. Feel free to let it sit at room temperature for a bit before serving. Enjoy!