How to make a homemade carrot bundt cake with cream cheese filling, frosting, and chocolate carrot cake toppers!

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One of the most scrumptious and comforting cakes out there is carrot cake, no doubt about it! While carrot cake is traditionally known as a fall recipe, it’s also a great comfort food for winter or even spring while it’s still chilly outside! 

My personal favorite carrot cake recipe is this one for my delectable Carrot Bundt Cake! This comforting cake is packed with all the traditional carrot cake flavors we know and love, along with a sweet and tangy cream cheese filling, frosting, and some homemade chocolate carrot cake toppers!

With the perfect balance of fall flavors, this recipe is a hard one to beat! My easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake and Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze do make a pretty fair competition, but this carrot cake is downright irresistible! And if cakes with delectable filling are your thing then you might want to give my decadent Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Chocolate Hearts a try too!

But this scrumptious carrot cake isn’t just for fall comfort. It’s also the perfect Easter dessert too! Especially all dressed up with the chocolate carrot cake toppers, this would be the most adorable cake centerpiece for any Easter celebration! Serve alongside an Easter Charcuterie Board and a batch of Easter Chocolate Covered Pretzel Carrots for the ultimate Easter spread. 

Ready for a decadent, divine, and comforting cake all in one? Then let’s get started! Here’s how to make a delectable Carrot Bundt Cake with filling, frosting, and chocolate toppers!

Carrot Bundt Cake Equipment

Let’s start with the equipment and supplies. Since there are a few layers to this cake, there are quite a few tools and materials needed. Here’s everything I use to make my filled carrot bundt cake:

• Measuring Cup
• Measuring spoons
• Glass mixing bowl
• Spatulas
• Hand mixer
• Bundt cake pan
• Disposable Vinyl Gloves
• Sifter
• Round drying rack
• Blending whisk
• 1 Wilton candy melting pot
• 2 Royal icing piping bags- Medium
• 1 Parchment paper sheet
• 1 Carrots template
• 1 Baking sheet
• Cake lifter

Carrot Cake Ingredients

Now let’s go over the ingredients! Carrot cake does call for several seasonings and ingredients but if you bake often then you probably have most of what you need on hand. Here are all of my ingredients for carrot bundt cake, cream cheese filling, frosting, and the chocolate carrot toppers:

Carrot Bundt Cake:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp Ground Ginger
• ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
• ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter– melted and cooled
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 cups Carrots– grated
• 1 cup Pecans– chopped

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 8 oz cream cheese– room temperature,
• 1 Egg
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp Lemon juice

Bundt Cake Pan Greasing:

• 1 tbsp Vegetable shortening 
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 oz cream cheese– ½ of 8 oz package, room temperature
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter– room temperature
• 1 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups Confectioners Sugar

Chocolate Carrot Cake Toppers:

• ¾ cup Orange candy melts
• ½ tsp coconut oil
• ¼ cup Wilton Green Candy Melts
• ½ tsp coconut oil

How to Make a Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

Let’s bake a cake! As I mentioned, this cake does have a lot of layers so it will take some time to make from start to finish. If you need to break the recipe up over 2 days or so, you can definitely do that! Here’s how to make a scrumptious, filled carrot bundt cake:

Carrot Bundt Cake:

1. First, use the measuring cup and spoons to measure out the carrot cake ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Next, crack the eggs into a large glass mixing bowl.
3. Then, add in the yogurt and vanilla extract.
4. Whisk the ingredients together with a blending whisk until they’re completely combined.
5. Then, in a separate glass mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
6. Combine the ingredients well with a whisk.
7. In another clean large glass mixing bowl, pour in the melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
8. Beat the ingredients together with a whisk until the ingredients are completely mixed together.
9. Next, pour the egg mixture into the sugar/butter mixture and mix again.
10. Then, pour in the dry ingredient mixture.
11. Whisk all of the ingredients together well, until everything is completely combined.
12. Then, add the grated carrots and chopped pecans into the cake batter.
13. Lastly, use a spatula to fold and mix the carrots and pecans into the batter.

Cream Cheese Filling:

1. Start by gathering and measuring out all of the cream cheese filling ingredients.
2. Next, combine the softened cream cheese, egg, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a glass mixing bowl.
3. Beat the mixture with a hand mixer until all of the ingredients are completely mixed together.
4. The cake filling is ready once the ingredients are fully combined, and the mixture reaches a smooth and creamy consistency.

How much lemon juice is in one lemon:

One medium-size lemon contained 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice.
1 lemon = 1 tbsp lemon zest
1 lemon = 2-3 lemon juice

Lemon extract alternative:
1 tsp of lemon extract = 2 tsp lemon zest

Cake Pan Greasing:

1. Begin by rounding up all of the greasing materials, ingredients, and the bundt cake pan.
2. Cover your hands with disposable gloves.
3. Then, grease the inside of the bundt cake pan with the vegetable shortening. 
4. Next, use the sifter to sprinkle the flour evenly over the shortening layer in the cake pan until it is thoroughly coated. 
5. Shake out the extra flour by flipping the bundt pan over and tapping it lightly.
6. Flip the pan back over and set it on a flat surface.

How to Grease a Pan

Filling Bundt Cake Pan:

1. Start filling the cake pan by scooping ⅓ of the carrot cake batter into the cake pan. Spread it around so that it is an even layer.
2. Then, scoop in all of the cream cheese cake filling evenly around the first layer of cake batter.
3. Add the remaining cake batter on top of the cream cheese layer. Bake the cake for 50-65 minutes. Check the center of the cake with a toothpick to test doneness.
4. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.
5. Then, use a butter knife to help separate the sides of the cake from the pan. Place a cooling grid rack over the pan opening and flip the cake and rack over together at the same time to release the cake from the pan.
6. Finally, let the cake cool completely, about 1 hour, before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. First, measure out all of the cream cheese frosting ingredients.
2. Next, combine the softened cream cheese, room temp butter, yogurt, and vanilla extract in a glass mixing bowl.
3. Beat the mixture well with a hand mixer until it is light and fluffy. 
4. Then, begin adding in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing well between each addition.
5. Continue mixing in the sugar in ½ cup intervals until all of the powdered sugar has been added to the frosting. 
6. Finally, beat the ingredients together one more time until all the ingredients are completely combined and the frosting reaches a smooth consistency.

Chocolate Carrot Cake Toppers:

1. Start by measuring out the chocolate topper ingredients.
2. Next, combine the orange candy melts and coconut oil in the candy melting pot.
3. Melt them together while stirring with a heat-resistant spatula.
4. Then, prepare a piping bag by placing it in a tall glass with the bag opening rolled over the edges of the glass.
5. Scoop the orange chocolate into the piping bag.
6. Tie off the bag and set it aside.
7. Next, combine the green candy melts and coconut oil in the melting pot.
8. Stir while melting them together. 
9. Prepare another piping bag in the tall glass.
10. Transfer the green chocolate into the piping bag.
11. Tie off the bag.
12. Next, set out a baking sheet and place the carrot template in it. Place a flat sheet of parchment paper over the carrot template.
13. Then, cut 2/16” from the tip of the orange bag and trace the carrot shapes of the template onto the parchment with the melted orange chocolate.
    1. If you need a bigger opening, cut off a little bit more. But if you cut off too much, then you’ll have to transfer the melted chocolate to a new bag.
14. Next, cut 1/16” from the tip of the green bag and trace over the leafy green part of the carrot template, just touching the orange carrot part.
15. Refrigerate the chocolate carrots for 10 minutes.
16. After chilling, gently peel the chocolate carrots from the parchment.
17. Transfer the chocolates to a plate for easy decorating access.

Assembling:

1. First, grab a cake plate and a cake lifter.
2. Use the cake lifter to transfer the cooled carrot cake to the serving plate.
3. Then, grab the frosting and chocolate carrot toppers.
4. Next, use a cake spatula to spread the cream cheese frosting over the entire bundt cake.
5. Finally, decorate the carrot bundt cake with chocolate carrot cake toppers. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Download the Carrots Template Here

Storing Carrot Bundt Cake

Need to prepare this cake ahead of time for a holiday party? No problem! Here are a few bundt cake storage methods for you to try. I recommend wrapping and storing the cake in the fridge for party prep.

To store bundt cake: transfer the remainder of the cake to a tall cake container or wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Label the date on the outside. Store the cake either at room temperature, on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

To freeze individual cake slices: wrap the slices in plastic wrap, then again in foil. Seal the wrapped cake slices in an airtight container. Label the date on the outside of the container to keep up with freshness. Store cake slices in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before serving.

Bundt Cakes

Best Bundt Cakes 

Want even more beautiful bundt cakes? Then keep reading to check out a few more of my favorite bundt cakes for year-round enjoyment along with some more of my favorite holiday and seasonal recipes!

Bundt Cakes:

• Vanilla Bundt Cake from Box Cake Mix
• Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze
• Eggnog Bundt Cake
• 4th of July Bundt Cake
• Christmas Chocolate Bundt Cake
• Funfetti Bundt Cake
• Lemon Bundt Cake
• Red Velvet Bundt Cake
• Cranberry and Lemon Bundt Cake
• Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Toffee Glaze
• Pumpkin Bundt Cake

More Easter Sweets:

• Easter Sugar Cookies
• Easter Bunny Cupcakes
• Mini Easter Bread Kulich
• Italian Easter Bread
• Italian Mini Easter Breads
• Easter Lemon Cookies
• Easter Meringue Bird Cookies
• Easter Charcuterie Board
• Easter Chocolate Covered Pretzels- Carrots
• Easter Chocolate Covered Pretzels- Bunnies and Ducklings
• Dying Easter Eggs with Food Coloring
• Gold-Painted Easter Eggs