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Nothing says we’re ready for Easter more than this amazing banana carrot cake loaf! We know carrot cakes are so popular during this time of the year, so why not have your classic carrot cake but with a twist? This cake is SO good, SO moist, and fun to bake! It’s filled with your favorite flavors of banana, carrot shreds, and nutty pecans. Not to mention it has a classic chai spice and it’s topped off with a rich maple glaze. Did we mention this was also a one bowl recipe? You’ll be making this amazing banana carrot cake loaf every day until spring is over!

If you’re looking to utilize your loaf pan, try out our Blueberry Loaf Cake!

Ingredients

Spice Mix: This spice mix is what really gives this loaf cake a kick! Our secret? If you don’t have nutmeg/cloves/etc….use pumpkin pie spice! Yes, it’s pumpkin pie spice–but did you know pumpkin pie spice and this “chai” spice are pretty much the same? They both contain the same ingredients, and it’s way easier way to measure (just add 1 tsp for this recipe)!

Bananas: Use overripe bananas, mash the bananas before adding it to your batter, and have the correct banana size! If you have an egg allergy, swap out the egg for another medium banana. For more banana based recipes, check out our Vegan Banana Bread or our Banana Muffins with Coffee Streusel!

Carrots: The heart of this cake! There’s really no substitute for carrots, unless you’d like to make a simple banana bread. Shredding your carrot with a grater (or tossing them in a food processor) ensures you don’t get big carrot chunks throughout your cake. We like a fine carrot shred that perfectly mixes in with this batter.

Vegetable Oil: Oil in your loaf cakes make the best crumb. I love to pair oil with greek yogurt (or sour cream) because it brings out a softer, moist cake crumb.

Brown Sugar: We used a full cup (yes, a WHOLE CUP) of brown sugar in this loaf. The more molasses in your brown sugar, the better. If you want a lighter loaf, reduce the brown sugar by 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup of white sugar. For a better flavored cake, swap out the brown sugar for coconut sugar!

Yogurt: This creates the amazing moist textured loaf. Using yogurt really gives it that smooth taste and brings out the flavors! You can sub sour cream or your favorite dairy-free vanilla yogurt (we’ve tried almond milk-based yogurt and it’s amazing too)!

Pecans: It’s like a literal crime to not add nuts to your carrot cakes. Whether that’s hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, or peanuts you can swap out these pecans for your favorite nutty crunch!

Maple Glaze: What better way to top off this cake than a maple glaze? If you’d like to upgrade your maple glaze, add 1/4 tsp of almond extract!

loaf cakes

We are loaf cakes fanatics! They are so easy to bake, serve, and can be done in less than 2 hours. A tip to the best, clean cut loaf cakes is lining your pans with parchment paper. This helps to easily pull out your loaf cake without it getting stuck to the sides of the pan.

Bring these cakes to parties, take them on picnics, or add it to your lunch for a sneaky dessert! It requires no fork, no smushed icing, and all of the delightful flavors of a traditional cake!

Now let’s get to baking!