I asked Mom what she wanted me to make for this Mother’s Day themed post celebrating her. And she had nothing. Not a single idea.
So I went ahead and chose something. Something springy. Something fancy but not too fancy. Something Mom worthy, not that any dessert could really express how much I love Mom.
So I decided on this Carrot Cream Cheese Coffee Cake. It isn’t as fancy and laborious as a traditional layer cake, but it has all those classic carrot cake flavors, with the addition of crumb topping. You can never go wrong with crumb topping.
This is so perfect for Mom too because it is a breakfast food. While I typically don’t eat lunch and dinner can be a crazy frenzy full of interruptions, each and every day, Mom and I have a relaxing breakfast together.
We sit and watch Today and enjoy our breakfast whether it is oatmeal, a smoothie, or this cake. That time is by far my favorite part of the day, especially this time of year. There are so many sunny mornings, full of hope and promise, and enjoying an amazing meal with my favorite person is a great way to spend a half an hour.
The time sets both of us up for a great day ahead. It gives us time to talk and plan our days and think and sometimes sit in silence that isn’t awkward at all. You know you really love a person when you can sit in silence without it being awkward.
So back to this coffee cake and why you have to make it for the person you love most. It’s crazy moist and a little dense in the best way. Full of carrots and raisins and a decadent cream cheese swirl, I think this has forever spoiled all other coffee cakes for me. The only thing I would change is to add some nuts to the streusel topping. They would add the perfect crunch. I meant to do it, but then it slipped my mind.
Don’t let this recipe or Mother’s Day slip your mind. Here’s to many more breakfasts with Mom!
Carrot Cream Cheese Coffee Cake #SundaySupper
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 large egg
Cake
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk (I used almond coconut blend – use what you love)
- 2 cups grated carrots
- ½ cup raisins (I always use Trader Joe’s Jumbo Medley – it is fab!)
Streusel
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup pecans or walnuts, optional
Glaze
- 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2–4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 inch round cake pan.
- Make the cream cheese filling. In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg until mostly smooth. A few lumps are okay.
- Make the cake. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I did this by hand but a hand or stand mixer will work as well. Beat in the vanilla bean paste and egg.
- Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in half of the cream cheese mixture, followed by the carrots and raisins.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and top with the remaining cream cheese mixture. Use a fork or knife to swirl the cream cheese mixture into the batter.
- Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the pecans or walnuts if using. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the cake.
- Bake cake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan or serve immediately. Before serving, make the glaze. In a small bowl, stir together sugar, vanilla, and orange juice. Add more sugar or orange juice until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Cake may be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the microwave for about 1 minute.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Girl Versus Dough
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
Don’t forget to check out the other Sunday Supper dishes!
Starters (Appetizers, Beverages, Breakfast):
- Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal by Cooking With Carlee
- Frozen Pina Colada by The Redhead Baker
- Goats Cheese Rolls with Honey and Thyme by Manu’s Menu
- Mom’s Banana Bread by Family Around the Table
- Mom’s Famous Poppy Seed Bread With A Citrus Glaze by And She Cooks
- Mom’s Wine Spritzer by Momma’s Meals
Salads, Side Dishes, and Sauces:
- Asiago Bruschetta Roasted Asparagus by Flavor Mosaic
- Italian Country Salad by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Mom’s Cucumbers in Vinegar by Simple And Savory
- Mom’s Homemade Perogies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Mom’s Potato Salad by Palatable Pastime
- Polish Haluski (Pan Fried Noodles & Sauerkraut) by The Crumby Cupcake
- Spinach Salad with Simple Vinaigrette by Cooking Chat
- Zippy Barbecue Sauce by Amee’s Savory Dish
Main Dishes:
- Chicken and Egg Salad Sandwich by The Freshman Cook
- Grilled Chicken with Poblano Cream Sauce by Casa de Crews
- Fried Smelt by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Granny Smith’s Meatloaf by Get the Good Stuff!
- Jean’s Best Vegetable Soup by Food Lust People Love
- Lemon & Garlic Herbed Roasted Chicken by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Mama’s Favorite Southern Fried Chicken by The Chef Next Door
- Mom’s Cheese & Onion Enchiladas by The TipToe Fairy
- Mom’s Lentil Toastadas by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
- Mom’s Moussaka by My Life Cookbook
- Shirley’s Potato Soup by Our Good Life
- Mom’s Spare Ribs To Go by An Italian in my Kitchen
- Mom’s Sukiyaki: Japanese Beef and Vegetables Hot Pot by Asian In America
- Myra’s Super Supper by Tramplingrose
- Pizza Meatloaf by A Mind Full Mom
- Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls by Cookin’ Mimi
Desserts:
- Apple Bread Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Apple Crisp by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Baklava by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Brown Sugar Pudding by Un Assaggio of Food, Wine & Marriage
- Butter Balls by Feeding and More
- Carrot Cream Cheese Coffee Cake by Pies and Plots
- Chocolate Cherry Truffle Cheesecake by What Smells So Good?
- Crustless Pecan Pie Rice Pudding by Desserts Required
- Double Layer Chocolate Cake with Red Wine Chocolate Buttercream by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
- Easy Classic Date Squares by She Loves Biscotti
- Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Cake by What The Fork Food Blog
- Homemade Chocolate Cherry Candies by Gluten Free Crumbley
- Hungarian Crepes: Palacsinta by My Gourmet Connection
- Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate and Mint by The Finer Cookie
- Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze and Roasted Strawberries by Turnips 2 Tangerines
- Mom’s Apple Pie by Wholistic Woman
- Mom’s Famous White Icing by Monica’s Table
- Moms Mayonnaise Cake by My World Simplified
- Pavlova with Raspberries and Cream by Caroline’s Cooking
- Rocky Road Brownie Sundae for Mom by The Weekend Gourmet
- Rose Shortbread Cookies by Baking Sense
- Sour Cream Cheesecake by Magnolia Days
Plus What Mom Really Wants for Mother’s Day plus Mom’s Favorite from Sunday Supper Movement
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
I love, love carrot cake and this yummy recipe is the perfect excuse to have it for breakfast 🙂
Looks great! And special that you can make it for mom.
Breakfast? Of course! It looks delicious and I bet your mom loved it.
It’s so true what you say about the silence. Cheers to you and your mom! Thanks for sharing 🙂
What a great idea for a coffee cake! I can’t wait to give it a try!
Yum! Your photos want me to make this coffee cake all over again. 🙂 Happy Mother’s Day to your mama! xo
You should make it again, Stephanie – it is just sooooo good. Thanks for stopping by!! 🙂
It’s true, you can’t go wrong with crumb topping. Looks like you and mom have a lovely time together.
I never thought of turning a carrot cake into a streusel-topped coffee cake – what a great recipe! I love that hint of orange flavor in the glaze.
Yes, the orange complements the carrot cake so well. A little orange zest would be great in the cake or glaze too. Thanks, Lynne!
What a lovely tribute to your Mom. This coffee cake just screams LOVE
Thanks, Wendy!
What a great dish for your mom! So nice of you to make this. Sounds like your breakfasts are a lot of fun! Great read, super recipe — thanks so much.
Sweet tribute to your mom! Great picture too by the way! I love this cake so much. Combining two of my favorite things in this cake (carrots and cream cheese), I know this will be a huge hit! Thanks.
I’ve fallen in love! The cake looks phenomenal, and you and your mom look EXACTLY like a friend of mine back when I was young!
Thank you so much, Sarah!
I think I might make this for my mom too! She loves carrot cake!
I hope you do make it, Ashley! It’s one of the best things I’ve made in a long time.
This recipe looks great!
However, you might want to try actually printing one of your recipes. Not so great results. Ads appear on the printed page and the names of the “subassemblies” hang over the left edge of the rectangle printed around the recipe.
Rosalie – I am so sorry to hear about this issue but thank you for letting me know. My blog is undergoing a bit of work currently so I will make sure that is worked out.