This Eggless Carrot Zucchini Loaf Cake is moist, flavorful, and enjoyable for breakfast or a snack. Each slice of this loaf is pure goodness of carrots, zucchini, brown sugar, and spices!
The Carrot Zucchini Loaf Cake recipe is one the easiest quick bread recipes. There is no need for an electric mixer; the batter comes together in just a few minutes! It is also easy to customize with nuts, spices, dried fruits, or chocolate chips.
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Easy and Quick Eggless Carrot Zucchini Loaf Cake
This recipe is inspired by my other quick bread recipe, Eggless Zucchini Bread.
Not only fruits, but I love to add zucchini and carrots to my baking desserts. They add nutritional value without any vegetable flavors. And certain spices, nuts, and dried fruits pair well with these vegetables.
This carrot and zucchini loaf is super easy to make with only a few ingredients. It is super moist, fluffy, sweet, and perfectly spiced.
I spiced the bread with ground cinnamon and nutmeg and flavored it with vanilla. But you can easily customize it and add your choice of spices. For example, you can add cardamom, ginger, or allspice.
Also, you can bring variation to this recipe by adding nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips. Orange zest can also be added to bring a fresh note.
An electric mixer is not needed to make this batter. We need mixing bowls, a spatula, and a whisk.
Why You Will Love This Loaf Cake
- The recipe sneaks in veggies.
- The Eggless Carrot Zucchini Loaf Cake is moist, tender, and delicious.
- This quick bread is flavorful and perfectly spiced.
- The batter comes together in less than 10 minutes.
- This recipe can easily be doubled, and you can make two loaves.
- Eggless Carrot Zucchini Bread is perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert.
Ingredients and Nots
- All-Purpose Flour: I have used unbleached all-purpose flour and recommend using the same.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These leavening agents give the necessary lift to the eggless zucchini bread and make it light.
- Salt: I like to add salt to give a nice contrast to the sweetness.
- Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg: These spices go well with this eggless carrot zucchini loaf cake. However, you can also add more spices like cardamom or ginger.
- Sugar: I have used brown sugar and granulated sugar. Brown sugar provides extra moisture to the loaf.
- Oil: Oil makes the carrot zucchini bread light and moist. I have used sunflower oil, but you can add any other neutral-flavored oil or melted coconut oil.
- Sour Cream: I used full-fat sour cream for the moist, rich loaf cake. Make sure to bring the sour cream to room temperature before using it in the recipe. If you don’t have sour cream, you can use plain yogurt.
- Vanilla: It provides a sweet flavor to this loaf cake. Try using pure vanilla extract if possible.
- Zucchini: Grate the zucchini with fine holes from your box grater. There is no need to squeeze out the water from the grated zucchini, but if it is too wet, slightly blot it with a kitchen paper towel.
- Carrots: Peel and finely grate the carrots. Do not use store-bought shredded carrots for this recipe.
How To Make Carrot Zucchini Loaf Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Grease an 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
- Whisk everything well to ensure all the dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- In a large bowl, whisk oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until well combined.
- Add grated zucchini and carrots and mix well.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently mix until just combined.
- Be careful not to overmix, as this can result in dense bread. It’s best to stop as soon as the ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remember that the baking time may vary, so watch the bread after 40 minutes to avoid overbaking.
- If the top of the loaf cake is browning too quickly, remove it from the oven after 30-35 minutes and loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Then, return it to the oven and continue baking for the remaining time.
- Once baked, remove the loaf cake from the oven and transfer the pan onto a wire rack.
- Allow the eggless carrot zucchini loaf cake to cool completely in the pan.
- This step is crucial for the cake to set properly, so resist the temptation to rush it.
Substitutions
All-Purpose Flour: Instead of plain flour, you can replace half of the flour with whole wheat flour. Or, use white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Brown Sugar: You can use white granulated sugar if you do not have brown sugar. Or, use light brown sugar instead of brown sugar.
Spices: Add more spices, such as ground ginger, cardamom, or all-spice.
Oil: If you like to add butter, replace half of the oil with melted unsalted butter.
Sour Cream: Instead of sour cream, use plain yogurt.
Make It Vegan: Use plant-based yogurt instead of sour cream to make a vegan carrot zucchini loaf cake.
Add Variations To Carrot Zucchini Loaf Cake
The Eggless Carrot Zucchini Loaf Cake recipe is highly customizable. You can substitute certain elements as mentioned above or add your choice of ingredients as suggested below.
Nuts: Add your choice of toasted and chopped nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
Chocolate Chips: Add regular or mini chocolate chips to make this carrot zucchini loaf cake more decadent.
Orange Zest: Add a zest of one orange to provide a fresh citrus flavor to the loaf cake.
Frosting: Once the loaf cake is completely cooled, top it with cream cheese or butter cream frosting. You can also top this quick bread with the sugar glaze.
Storing and Freezing Suggestions
- Cover and store the Eggless Carrot Zucchini Bread at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for a week.
- This loaf freezes well. Once it is completely cooled, cover it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Then, allow the bread to thaw at room temperature before slicing and serving.
Baking Tips
- Measurements: Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients for the best results.
- Zucchini: Do not squeeze the moisture out of grated zucchini. But if your zucchini is too wet, blot it lightly with a paper towel before adding it to the batter.
- Brown Sugar: I highly recommend using brown sugar for extra moisture, but replace it with white sugar if you do not have it.
- Mixing The Batter: Even though it is called a quick bread, it is actually a cake. So stay away from overmixing the batter for the soft and tender carrot zucchini loaf.
- Baking: Watch the eggless zucchini bread after 40 minutes of baking time because every oven is different. If the top of the loaf is browning too quickly while baking, remove it from the oven after 30 – 35 minutes and loosely cover it with aluminum foil. Then, return it to the oven and continue baking for the remaining time.
FAQs For Carrot Zucchini Loaf Cake
Do I Need To Peel The Zucchini?
There is no need to peel the zucchini; you will not taste a bit of it in the loaf cake.
Why My Loaf Cake Is Dry?
If you either add too much flour or overbake the cake, it will become dry. It could also be a combination of the two. If you add a lesser amount of wet ingredients, the loaf cake can also become dry. Always measure the ingredients correctly and use a kitchen scale for the best results. Also, keep an eye on the oven while baking the quick bread, as every oven is different, so baking time!
Why Is My Eggless Carrot Zucchini Loaf Cake Soggy?
Too much liquid makes the bread soggy. Again, measuring the ingredients correctly using a kitchen scale is the best practice. In this recipe, there is no need to squeeze the grated zucchini. If the zucchini releases too much water when you grate it, do not use that water. Or, if the grated zucchini seems too wet, gently blot the excess moisture with a paper towel. Also, the bread will be soggy and wet in the center if you underbake it.
Why My Loaf Cake Sinks In The Middle?
There are several reasons for the quick bread to sink in the middle. If you remove the loaf cake before it is completely baked, it may sink a few minutes after you remove it from the oven. If the oven temperature is too high, the cake will rise too quickly and sink upon cooling. Adding too much baking powder or baking soda can make the bread rise too rapidly and collapse upon cooling. Incorrect measurements of the ingredients may also be a reason for the cake to sink. Opening the oven door too often while baking the cake loaf may cause the cake to sink from the middle.
More Loaf Cakes
You May Like More Desserts With Zucchini And Carrots
Recipe Card
Eggless Carrot Zucchini Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup (120ml) sunflower oil (or any neutral-flavored oil)
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60g) sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 85 g finely grated carrots (½ cup tightly packed)
- 85 g finely grated zucchini (½ cup tightly packed )
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease an 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until well combined. Add grated zucchini and carrots and mix well.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, which can lead to a dense bread. It's best to stop as soon as the ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remember, the baking time may vary, so it's crucial to keep an eye on the bread after 40 minutes to avoid under or overcooking.
- If the top of the loaf cake is browning too quickly, remove it from the oven after 30-35 minutes and loosely cover it with aluminum foil. Then, return it to the oven and continue baking for the remaining time.
- Once baked, remove the loaf cake from the oven and transfer the pan onto a wire rack.
- Allow the eggless carrot zucchini loaf cake to cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing.
Storing and Freezing Suggestions
- Cover and store the Eggless Carrot Zucchini Bread at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for a week.
- This loaf freezes well. Once it is completely cooled, cover it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Then, allow the bread to thaw at room temperature before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Measurements: Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients for the best results.
- Zucchini: Do not squeeze the moisture out of grated zucchini. But if your zucchini is too wet, blot it lightly with a paper towel before adding it to the batter.
- Brown Sugar: I highly recommend using brown sugar for extra moisture, but replace it with white sugar if you do not have it.
- Mixing The Batter: Even though it is a quick bread, it is a cake. So avoid overmixing the batter for the soft and tender carrot zucchini loaf.
- Baking: Watch the eggless zucchini bread after 40 minutes of baking time because every oven is different. If the top of the loaf is browning too quickly while baking, remove it from the oven after 30 – 35 minutes and loosely cover it with aluminum foil. Then, return it to the oven and continue baking for the remaining time.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think.