Carrot Blueberry Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
It took a few tries for carrot cake to become one of our favorites. I initially served my family the classic version and after the very first bite my children insisted I omit the raisins and nuts the next time. The second time around was better, but was deemed “boring.” Then, after they developed a sudden, and unexpected, obsession with blueberry pancakes I was asked to add berries to their cake to liven it up a little. Finally, with a few adjustments made to the frosting technique, we were set.
These days this newfound variation on carrot cake is very popular in our household. So far we’ve made it “just for fun”, for a dinner party dessert, and for a bake sale. Some may balk at the idea of grating all those carrots but I have a secret trick: I use Cascadian Farm Organic Multicolor Carrots and shred them in the food processor. In fact, the entire batter is made in the food processor, which makes it a very easy one-bowl cake.
Adding the berries is easy too because I use Cascadian Farm Organic Frozen Blueberries. I let them come to room temperature and add them right to the batter. Sometimes I arrange them in the bottom of the Bundt pan so they come out on top of the carrot cake like a fancy crown. Either way, they taste amazing and look beautiful.
I know it seems sacrilege not to have a mountain of frosting on carrot cake but this it is sweet enough that less is more. A beautiful drizzle of cream cheese glaze is all you need to top off this delicious cake. It looks amazing and tastes great.
With all the holidays coming up, or even if you just want a cake for fun, this new easy carrot cake is bound to be just right for your family. It features a moist, tender crumb and is filled with the flavors of warm spice and blueberries. It can be eaten with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a hot coffee on the side. No matter how you do it, it will surely be welcome at your table.
(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cascadian Farm as part of our ongoing partnership. The photographs and opinions are wholly my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that support The Naptime Chef.)
Ingredients
- 2 10-ounces bags Cascadian Farm Organic Multicolored Carrots, thawed and patted dry
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup Cascadian Farm Organic Frozen Blueberries, room temperature
- Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a Bundt pan and set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor grate the carrots by pulsing 8 to 10 times. Transfer the grated carrots to a small bowl and set aside.
- Wipe out the food processor bowl and add the butter and sugars and pulse until the sugar is incorporated. Then, add the eggs, vanilla, salt, and extract and pulse again until the batter is smooth.
- Carefully add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spice through the feed tube while you pulse. Stop pulsing once everything is just incorporated. Then, add the carrots and pulse a few more times, or until the carrots are just incorporated.
- Turn off the processor and stir in the blueberries. Alternatively, arrange the blueberries evenly in the top of the butter Bundt cake pan.
- Spread the batter evenly into the pan and place it in the oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out evenly. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze: Beat all of the ingredients together. If the glaze needs to be a little more liquid add a little water 1 teaspoon at a time to loosen it up. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the top of the cake and allow to set before serving.
