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Carrot Cake Zucchini Bread

Carrot cake zucchini bread with a warmly spiced crumb and a thick cream cheese frosting swirl. This fall-style vegetable quick bread bakes as a tender loaf, then gets frosted only after it cools completely for clean slices.
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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: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread
  • 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

Method
 

Bake the loaf
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Set it up on a sheet pan for easier handling.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl until evenly combined. Stop when there are no visible spice clumps.
  3. Beat brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed.
  4. Stir in zucchini and carrots until the batter looks evenly speckled. Press any excess moisture from zucchini out again if needed.
  5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in raisins or pecans if using and do not overmix.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Use the center as the test spot.
Cool and frost
  1. Cool the loaf completely before frosting, about 20 minutes. Wait for the loaf to be cool to the touch so the frosting stays thick.
  2. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Spread generously over the cooled loaf, leaving swirls on top.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini really well so the loaf bakes with a tender, not-gummy crumb. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; bring to room temperature for the best slice. Freeze the unfrosted loaf up to 2 months, then thaw and frost; dietary swap: use gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour for a gluten-free version.