An easy, moist and delicious Carrot Bundt Cake, perfect for any occasion, with a rich and flavorful blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream cheese frosting!
Preheat the oven to 325F degrees. Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray that has flour in it (like Baker’s Joy) and set aside. If you don’t have Baker’s Joy, just grease and flour the bundt pan.
Combine 15.25 ounce spice cake mix, 4 large eggs, ½ cup canola oil, ½ cup sour cream and 1 Tablespoon fresh orange zest in a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined (this can also be done in a stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer).
Gently stir in 2 cups finely shredded carrots, 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well and ¾ cup chopped walnuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake on the middle rack in the oven for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no raw batter.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once it’s done cooling, you can turn it out onto a cake platter.
Once the cake has cooled completely, prepare the glaze. In a large bowl, beat 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature and 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature with a hand or stand mixer until smooth.
Add 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and 1-3 Tablespoons whole milk and beat until smooth. Add more milk, one teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. The glaze should only hold its shape for a few seconds when a spoon is dragged through it.
Pour the glaze over the cake and let it drip down the sides. Sprinkle ¼ - ½ cup chopped walnuts over the top while the glaze is still wet.
Allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
Use a nonstick baking spray to help get the cake out of the bundt pan.
Store leftovers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Once frosted, the cake should be refrigerated within 2 hours so the cream cheese glaze does not go bad.
This recipe was tested with Betty Crocker super moist spice cake mix.
Yellow cake mix can be used instead of spice cake mix. Add two teaspoons of cinnamon when preparing the batter to add the spice flavor.
The bake time will vary based on the finish of your bundt pan. If you use a dark-colored pan, your bake time will be closer to 40 minutes. If using a lighter pan, your bake time will be closer to 50 minutes.
Use freshly shredded carrots, not pre-packaged shredded carrots. The prepackaged carrots will be too dry and will not release the moisture the cake needs.
Empty the can of pineapple into a colander and let it sit for a few minutes to drain. Do not press the pineapple to drain, you do not want it completely dry.
For the best flavor and texture, use full-fat sour cream in the cake and full-fat cream cheese for the frosting.
If you prefer your carrot cake with a lot of spice, add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg when preparing the cake batter.