The most delicious high altitude carrot crumb coffee cake that you can serve warm from the oven. This carrot crumb cake is moist and perfectly spiced, topped with brown sugar crumble topping, a drizzle of cream cheese icing and walnuts. Look no further for the best coffee cake recipe to make for breakfast or brunch!
You might also love these high altitude recipes for Easter carrot cake sheet cake, hummingbird cake with pecan cream cheese frosting, and classic coconut cake.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Brown Butter and Warm Spices. The brown butter adds such a nutty, rich depth of flavor to this carrot crumb cake that you’ll just love. And with warm, cozy spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice, your house will smell amazing while the cake is in the oven.
Perfect for Easter Brunch. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting always makes a popular Easter dessert. But when you make carrot cake with crumble topping, it’s totally acceptable to eat the cake for breakfast.
No Mixer Needed. You don’t need a mixer to make today’s recipe, just a bowl and whisk.
Enjoy Warm or Cold. One of the best things about coffee cakes is that you can serve them when they’re still warm from the oven. And this carrot coffee cake is no exception. I like to let it cool for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, so it’s no longer piping hot, but perfectly warm and soft. You can eat the leftover cake at room temperature, or warm it up a little in the microwave.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- Unsalted Butter. By browning the butter first, you’ll get a richer, nuttier flavor that’s so good with the spices, walnuts and carrots.
- Carrots. Peel the carrots first, then weigh them to get 4 1/2 ounces (or about 1 cup grated carrots, not tightly packed down).
- Unsweetened Applesauce. Moisture.
- Milk. Whole milk adds fat and flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. The acid in the vinegar makes a more tender cake. You could also replace the whole milk and vinegar combination with buttermilk.
- Sugar. Both granulated sugar and brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture.
- Eggs. Adds structure and moisture.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- All Purpose Flour. Adds structure and strength.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder. Leavens the batter and makes the cake rise.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Spices. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and allspice adds warmth and coziness.
- Walnuts. While I usually make my carrot cake without any raisins or nuts, I like the addition of chopped walnuts in this carrot crumb cake. You could use pecans instead of walnuts, or just leave the nuts out altogether.
Crumble Topping
- All Purpose Flour. Adds structure and strength.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar and brown sugar adds sweetness.
- Cinnamon.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Butter. Melted butter moistens the crumble topping and makes it crisp as it bakes.
Cream Cheese Icing
- Cream Cheese. Soften the cream cheese at room temperature for several hours, so you can easily mix up the icing with a spoon or spatula.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens the icing.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream. Thins the icing to the desired consistency.
- Walnuts.
Instructions
Getting Ready
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Lightly spray a 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick baking spray.
Crumble Topping
- In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the melted butter, and stir together until moist and crumbly.
- Set the crumble topping aside until needed.
Carrot Cake
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until nutty brown solids form on the bottom of the pan.
- Immediately scrape the butter and the browned bits into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the grated carrots, applesauce, milk, vinegar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla to the brown butter, and whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
- Add the the flour mixture and the chopped walnuts to the wet ingredients, and use a spatula to stir the batter together until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and scatter the crumble topping over the cake batter.
- Bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and a cake tester or sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Set the cake on a cooling rack, and let cool for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours before adding the icing and cutting into squares.
Cream Cheese Icing
- In a bowl, use a spoon or spatula to combine the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla and the cream, stirring until smooth. Adjust the amount of cream, depending on how thick or thin you want your icing.
- Scrape the icing into a piping bag and snip off the tip. Squeeze the icing over the top of the carrot cake, then sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
- Tip: You can also just make a simple powdered sugar glaze, instead of the cream cheese icing. Just combine 3/4 cup of powdered sugar with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and several tablespoons of milk or cream until drizzly. Drizzle over the top of the crumb topping with a spoon.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the leftover cake?
Store leftover carrot cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
What’s the best way to reheat carrot coffee cake?
You can reheat individual pieces in the microwave for 30-45 seconds on 50% power.
Can this cake be frozen?
Yes, you can wrap the cake in several layers of plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3-6 months. Thaw out at room temperature, and it will be as soft and moist as it was freshly baked.
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High Altitude Carrot Crumb Coffee Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
Ingredients
Crumble Topping
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Carrot Cake
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 ½ oz peeled and finely grated carrots (about 1 cup, not packed tightly)
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground allspice
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Cream Cheese Icing
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 tbsp cold heavy whipping cream
- chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Instructions
Getting Ready
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Lightly spray a 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick baking spray.
Crumble Topping
- In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the melted butter, and stir together until moist and crumbly.
- Set the crumble topping aside until needed.
Carrot Cake
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until nutty brown solids form on the bottom of the pan. Immediately scrape the butter and the browned bits into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the grated carrots, applesauce, milk, vinegar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla to the brown butter, and whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
- Add the the flour mixture and the chopped walnuts to the wet ingredients, and use a spatula to stir the batter together until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and scatter the crumble topping over the cake batter.
- Bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and a cake tester or sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Set the cake on a cooling rack, and let cool for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours before adding the icing and cutting into squares.
Cream Cheese Icing
- In a bowl, use a spoon or spatula to combine the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla and the cream, stirring until smooth. Adjust the amount of cream, depending on how thick or thin you want your icing.
- Scrape the icing into a piping bag and snip off the tip. Squeeze the icing over the top of the carrot cake, then sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
- Tip: You can also just make a simple powdered sugar glaze, instead of the cream cheese icing. Just combine 3/4 cup of powdered sugar with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and several tablespoons of milk or cream until drizzly. Drizzle over the top of the crumb topping with a spoon.
I made these twice, once with Bob’s gluten free flour (took out a tablespoon of flour for GF). It was very popular!