The carrot cake sheet cake you’ll come back to again and again ~ built for sharing (and snacking!)
This carrot cake is essentially my classic carrot layer cake made into a sheet cake, and let me just say, I can re-confirm that this is the only carrot cake recipe I’ll ever need in my life! It’s richly spiced, moist and sweet, with the perfect balance of flavors and textures. If you are a carrot-cake lover, I know you won’t be disappointed.
Why make a carrot cake sheet cake? My carrot layer cake is classic and impressive, but this sheet cake is easier to assemble and frost, easier to transport if you are taking it to an event, and you can slice it up to feed as many as you need. From a sliver to a big square you can adjust the size of your serving to fit your appetite and your diet 🥕😀
more carrot cake recipes
- carrot coffee cake
- carrot cake muffins with cream cheese frosting
- gluten free carrot cake
- carrot bread with cream cheese frosting
ingredient notes for carrot cake sheet cake
Carrot cake took off in America during World War II when sugar was scarce and clever bakers sweetened cakes with carrots instead! It stayed quietly tucked in family recipe boxes until the ’60s and ’70s when cream cheese frosting swooped in and made it irresistible. Suddenly, every potluck and church bake sale had carrot cake on the table. The cake’s rustic charm, moist texture, and spice-kissed flavor turned it from wartime necessity into an American classic practically overnight. It was marketed as a “healthy” dessert (because, y’know… carrots 🙃)
- nuts – I used chopped pecans, but feel free to substitute walnuts, or leave the nuts out altogether if you prefer
- toasting the nuts before chopping them and adding them to the batter is optional, but it gives an awesome layer of toasty flavor — you’ll feel like you can actually taste the pecans so much more in the final result.
- to toast your pecans, spread them on a baking sheet and bake in a 300F oven for about 10-15 minutes, checking and stirring a couple times to ensure they don’t burn. When they are fragrant and lightly browned, take them out and allow them to cool before proceeding with the recipe.
- carrots – for cakes like this one, I like to us the small holes on my box grater to finely grate my carrots. I like the finer texture it gives to the cake, and the distribution of carrot-y color and flavor.
- I don’t recommend you buy pre-shredded carrots, in fact, I forbid it! Those pre-shredded carrots are tempting, but they come treated with preservatives (usually chlorine-based rinses) to keep them looking fresh longer. By the time you grab a bag, they’ve likely been sitting around for weeks, sometimes up to a month, losing moisture and flavor.
- oil – If you’re looking for a healthy minimally processed, “clean label” oil you might consider neutral flavored avocado or mild olive oil for this cake.
tips for making perfect cream cheese frosting
- FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD ~ I like to use my food processor to make a perfectly smooth cream cheese frosting without having to let your ingredients sit out at room temperature for hours. Simply place the butter and cream cheese into the bowl of your food processor, process until smooth, and then add your powdered sugar about a cup at a time, pulsing in between to incorporate it. Adjust with your flavorings, and voila! Perfect cream cheese frosting with no lumps.
- LEMON JUICE ~ you need to add enough powdered sugar to get a cream cheese frosting that has enough body and isn’t too runny. Sometimes, this can counteract the tanginess that most of us love about a cream cheese frosting. I like to taste mine and add a teaspoon or so of fresh lemon juice to bring back that tanginess that complements the sweetness of the carrot cake so well.
- SALT! I add a pinch of salt to all my frostings, it really makes the flavors sing.
variations and substitutions for carrot cake sheet cake
- NUT FREE: You can easily make this cake nut free by simply omitting the chopped pecans.
- DAIRY FREE: The cake itself is dairy-free as written, but the cream cheese frosting is not. Try Kite Hill non-dairy “cream cheese” and Violife plant butter.
- GLUTEN FREE: Try swapping the flour for a good quality gluten-free baking mix (I recommend Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour brands) to make this cake gluten-free.
- LOWER SUGAR: In most baking recipes, you can lower the sugar by about 1/3 without affecting the final result too much. You can serve this cake without the frosting for a less-sweet treat, or try replacing it with a simple lemon glaze for a little bit of that sweet/tart accent.
- MORE ADD-INS: customize to your taste by choosing raisins (I love golden raisins,) sweetened dried coconut, or chopped walnuts. You can even use chopped dates, ginger, or orange zest.
Carrot Cake Sheet Cake
Carrot cake sheet cake the cream cheese frosting is perfect for spring parties, birthdays and Easter brunch ~ everybody gets a piece!
Servings: 20 servings
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- food processor optional
Ingredients
for the carrot cake
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil*
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp clove
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 cups grated carrot
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, plus more for optional garnish
for the cream cheese frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice (optional, replace with half and half or milk if you don't want or need the additional tartness from the lemon juice)
Instructions
to make the cake
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9×13 rectangle baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk well until fully combined.
- Add in the spices, salt, and baking soda, and whisk well.
- Add in the flour, and using a silicone spatula, fold the batter together. While there are still some streaks of flour remaining, add in the carrot and the chopped pecans. Continue to fold together until just combined, don't over-mix.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes until risen and the cake is a rich golden color.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before carefully removing to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely before frosting. Note: you can serve the cake right from the pan if you prefer.
to make the frosting
- Load everything in your full sized food processor and pulse process until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to get all of the sugar incorporated. If it's too thick add a bit of milk and if it's too thin add a bit more sugar. Note: you can do this with electric beaters if you prefer.
- Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake. Garnish with crushed pecans if you like.
Notes
*If you’re looking for a minimally processed, “clean label” oil you might consider neutral flavored avocado or mild olive oil for this cake.
Nutrition
Calories: 467 kcal · Carbohydrates: 51 g · Protein: 4 g · Fat: 29 g · Saturated Fat: 7 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 12 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 9 g · Trans Fat: 0.3 g · Cholesterol: 47 mg · Sodium: 271 mg · Potassium: 133 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 39 g · Vitamin A: 3442 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 30 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Question. Can this be baked in a bundt pan?
How do I make an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 square pan? Love ALL the great recipes! Thank you…