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Carrot Cake Zucchini Bread

Carrot cake zucchini bread is a warm, spiced vegetable quick bread that bakes up tender with grated zucchini and carrots. A thick cream cheese frosting swirl finishes the loaf for a carrot-and-cake vibe in every slice.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Carrot Cake Zucchini Bread Loaf
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ginger
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.25 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.75 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
  • 0.75 cup carrots, finely grated
  • 0.5 cup raisins or pecans (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp milk

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat and prep pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan, so the batter starts baking immediately after mixing.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg together until evenly combined and no clumps remain.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Beat brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy, with the eggs fully incorporated.
Add vegetables
  1. Stir the grated and squeezed-dry zucchini and the finely grated carrots into the wet mixture until distributed throughout.
Combine and finish batter
  1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined, then fold in raisins or pecans if using—stop as soon as no dry streaks show.
Bake
  1. Bake at 350°F for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean—look for a set top and edges pulling slightly from the pan.
Cool before frosting
  1. Cool the loaf completely for about 20 minutes before frosting, keeping it fully cool so the frosting doesn’t melt.
Make and spread frosting
  1. Beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth, then spread generously over the cooled loaf and create a thick swirl on top.

Notes

Pro tip: Squeeze the grated zucchini very dry to keep the loaf from turning gummy. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze the unfrosted loaf up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and frost after thawing). For a lighter option, replace the vegetable oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce for a softer crumb (texture may be slightly less rich).