This moist Carrot Sheet Cake has all the great flavor of a traditional carrot cake in an easy to make sheet cake! We pair it with a cream cheese frosting for a dessert that’s always a crowd pleaser. Save this one for birthdays, family gatherings, and holiday celebrations!
Table of Contents
Easy Carrot Sheet Cake Recipe
Carrot cake has a way of bringing out everyone’s strongest opinions. Pineapple or no pineapple. Nuts or no nuts? And what about the most divisive ingredient…raisins?
I have my own strong opinions, and this Carrot Sheet Cake meets all my requirements and then some. It’s super moist, subtly spiced, and topped with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Plus, it doesn’t require any stacking or torting, and frosting it takes about 2 minutes, tops.
The reviews on this one speak for themselves! Hundreds of you have made this and watched it disappear from the dessert table. Leslie says it best, “This is the best carrot cake I’ve ever made. I baked it for my girlfriend’s birthday party and it disappeared in five minutes, with more than one person saying it was one of the best they’d ever had also. The additional carrot and addition of crushed pineapple were spot on.” (Thanks, Leslie!)
In this post, I’m answering all of your questions, sharing plenty of tips, and including all my suggested add-ins to make this recipe your own. Give it a try and you might just decide it’s the best carrot cake recipe around!
CourtneyWhat makes this carrot sheet cake so special?
1. First things first–the carrots! Most carrot cakes call for two cups of shredded carrots, but this one includes three whole cups. More carrots gives this cake a more robust flavor and texture than other recipes.
2. Pineapple! That’s right, I love my carrot cake with pineapple! The pineapple compliments the flavor of the carrots well, and I love the subtle tangy zing it adds. Plus, it makes this carrot cake so incredibly tender and moist. What’s not to love about that?
3. Nuts. I personally love carrot cake with nuts. I like the extra texture a crunchy nut brings to the cake. I realize many people are firmly against nuts in their dessert. My simple solution is to add chopped pecans to the top of the cake rather than bake them inside. This way, the nuts can be added to just half the cake, and everyone can be happy!
4. Finally, I’m on team NO RAISINS. I’m not a raisin hater in general. I love a good oatmeal raisin cookie, and a juicy raisin in a Morning Glory Muffin can be delightful. But raisins in carrot cake? They’re just a distraction.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Baking staples, including all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Spices– My mom’s carrot cake recipe was simply spiced with cinnamon, but sometimes I love adding ginger, nutmeg, and/or allspice.
- Shredded carrots– You can grate the carrots yourself or buy them pre-shredded. A food processor is the quickest way to do this at home!
- Granulated sugar– White sugar doesn’t compete with the flavors of the carrot or pineapple.
- Vegetable oil– Canola oil or melted coconut oil also work great.
- Eggs– Four whole eggs keep the cake nice and moist.
- Canned crushed pineapple– Make sure to grab the large 20 oz can of crushed pineapple, not pineapple chunks.
- Cream cheese– The base of the frosting. Bring it to room temperature before making the frosting.
- Salted butter– If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the frosting.
- Sifted powdered sugar– Sifting prevents a lumpy frosting.
- Vanilla extract– Just a splash for flavor!
- Chopped pecans or walnuts– Either one works great for carrot cake. Of course, you can omit the nuts if you prefer.
How to Make Carrot Cake Sheet Cake
Step 1: Whisk dry ingredients and carrots. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the grated carrots until they’re well coated.
Step 2. Combine wet ingredients. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and oil on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the pineapple.
Step 3: Stir in carrot mixture. Pour the carrot and flour mixture into the egg mixture and beat on low speed until combined.
Step 4: Bake. Pour the batter into a greased 1/4 sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and is no longer jiggly in the center. Allow the cake to cool before frosting.
The Best Cream Cheese Frosting for Carrot Cake
Step 1: Beat cream cheese and butter on medium high speed until smooth and creamy.
Step 2: Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and 1 Tablespoon of milk. If the frosting is still a little thicker than you’d like, add more milk, a Tablespoon at a time, until it’s easily spreadable. Spread frosting over the cooled cake.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
- Storing carrot cake: Carrot cake can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Serving: Some people love carrot cake eaten straight from the fridge (my husband), others at room temperature. I prefer it warmed up in the microwave until the cream cheese frosting is just starting to melt a bit. How you serve it is up to you!
- Freezing carrot cake: Double wrapping the unfrosted cake tightly in saran wrap and then foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake in the fridge overnight then frost as usual!
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Drain the pineapple very well. After placing it in a colander, give it a few good shakes to make sure the excess moisture has drained off.
- Make sure your cream cheese and butter are at room temperature and sift your powdered sugar to ensure an extra creamy, smooth cream cheese frosting.
- If you have leftover frosting: This is a generous frosting recipe. If you prefer a thinner layer of frosting, save the leftovers and use it as as fruit dip, or use it as a stuffing for blueberry crepes or French toast.
- Add spices. If you like a spiced carrot cake, add 1 teaspoon ginger and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and/or allspice.
- Add coconut. Shaved coconut can be added to the top of the cake or inside it, whatever you prefer.
- Add raisins. Add up to 1 cup of golden raisins to the batter. I recommend soaking them first in warm water or pineapple juice for 10 minutes, then draining them well. Add them to the batter with the flour mixture and carrots.
FAQs
This Carrot Sheet Cake keeps very well in the fridge. In fact, I actually think it gets better the second and third days!
Yes! This recipe will make about two dozen cupcakes. Bake time will be 20-25 minutes.
Yes! This recipe is made in a 1/4 sheet pan (9 x 13 inches), but it can also be made in 2 8 or 9 inch square or round pans, or a half sheet pan (13 x 18 inches). Note that the slices will be much thinner in the half sheet pan. Almost like carrot cake bars!
The baking times will be different if you change the pan. Here’s a great cake baking times guide for different pans.
I would not recommend stacking this recipe as written. The cake is already quite thick and dense and would be overwhelming if stacked.
If you would like to stack it, I would recommend making thinner cakes in several round pans or a half sheet cake. Please note that the cream cheese frosting we use is not good for piping. It is a soft, smooth, and extra creamy cream cheese frosting!
Several reviewers have used butter instead of oil with great results.
For this question, I don’t think there’s much debate. Cream cheese frosting is the absolute best frosting for carrot cake. The slight tang of cream cheese frosting compliments this spiced carrot cake perfectly.
I like my cream cheese frosting to be heavy on the cream cheese and not overly sweet. This recipe calls for two sticks of cream cheese and only one stick of butter, so the cream cheese flavor really shines.
What to Serve with Carrot Sheet Cake
This cake is really lovely for any occasion, but it’s often served at Easter and other spring events. You can check out our full Easter brunch menu here.
Some of our favorite recipes to serve with carrot cake include Green Pea Soup with Candied Bacon, Sweet Orange Glazed Ham, Easy Cheesy Potatoes, Make Ahead Butterhorn Rolls, and Honey Roasted Parsnips and Carrots.
More Sheet Cakes to Try
Sheet cakes are so easy to make and great for feeding a crowd. Here are a few more of our favorites!
My Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Chocolate Crazy Cake are regulars in our rotation.
This Banana Crumb Cake is perfect for breakfast or dessert. For a nostalgic birthday, try this Ho Ho Cake. And for some fruit filled options, try our easy Rhubarb Custard Cake, Apple Dapple Cake, or Pineapple Sunshine Cake.
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Easy Carrot Sheet Cake
Video
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- 20 oz crushed pineapple (well drained)
For the frosting:
- 16 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature (1 stick )
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch cake pan and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the grated carrots until they're well coated.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and oil on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the drained pineapple.
- Pour the carrot and flour mixture into the egg mixture and beat on low speed until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and is no longer jiggly in the center. Allow the cake to cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and 1 Tablespoon of milk. If the frosting is still a little thicker than you'd like, add more milk, a Tablespoon at a time, until it's easily spreadable.
- Spread frosting on the cooled cake. Top with nuts, if desired.
Notes
- The frosted cake can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- To make the cake ahead of time, bake and cool completely. Cover unfrosted cake tightly with saran wrap then foil and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then frost as usual before serving.
- Variations: Add up to 1 cup of raisins or coconut to the batter. For a spiced carrot cake, add 1 teaspoon of ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and/or allspice.
Nutrition
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