Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

by Emma Christensen

Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Moist, spiced, and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting, this Carrot Sheet Cake is the ultimate crowd-pleasing dessert! Packed with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, plus the natural sweetness of grated carrots, every bite is soft and flavorful.

Whether you're baking for a holiday, a birthday, or just a cozy treat, this easy-to-make sheet cake is sure to be a hit. Topped with a smooth, tangy cream cheese frosting, it's the perfect balance of sweetness and spice!

I have an aunt who is famous in the family for her carrot cake. This is partly due to the fact that she doesn't make it for just any old dinner or family gathering. It just magically shows up exactly when you need it. And with its tender cinnamon-scented crumb and thick layer of cream cheese frosting, yes, you definitely need it.

Far from guarding her secret, my aunt happily shared the recipe with me a while back when I asked for it. She admitted that she originally copied the recipe from a cookbook, though she had forgotten exactly which one. But she then went on to describe so many tweaks, adjustments and variations that I'm convinced this is now solely her own.

In turn, I have made my own tweaks and adjustments. My aunt prefers a layered round cake; I like a sheet cake. My aunt adds nuts and raisins; I'll make mine with the carrots alone. My aunt uses a cooked frosting of cream, sugar and cream cheese; I keep it simple with a basic cream cheese frosting.

But the base recipe remains my aunt's, and it surpasses all other carrot cakes I've ever had the pleasure of sampling.

Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Yield: Serves 12 to 15, depending on the size of your slices

Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Ingredients

For the Carrot Cake

2 cups (10 oz.) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup canola oil

1 cup granulated sugar

4 cups grated carrots (a little less than 2 lbs. of whole carrots)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups confectioner's sugar

Pinch of salt

Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Directions

To make the Carrot Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla. Set both aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the oil and sugar in a mixer or by hand until they reach a uniform consistency. With the mixer on low, beat one-third of the flour. Next, add one-third of the eggs. Continue adding the flour and eggs in alternating additions. Stop mixing when the last of the flour is just barely incorporated. Fold the carrots into the batter with a spatula, working slowly and gently until the carrots are distributed and no more dry flour remains.

Pour the batter into the baking dish and tap the dish a few times against the counter to work out the air bubbles. Bake for 45-50 minutes, rotating once during baking. The finished cake should be slightly puffed in the middle and browned on the edges. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Let the cake cool completely before frosting, about one hour, or wait to frost until the next day. Leftover cake can be kept, covered, at room temperature for several days. You can also wrap the unfrosted cake in aluminum foil and freeze it for up to 3 months.

To make the Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat together the butter and cream cheese. Slowly beat in the vanilla, confectioner's sugar and salt.

Increase to high speed once the frosting starts to come together into lumps.

Beat until creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

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Carrot Cake Recipe, Dessert Cakes

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Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting | Classic Dessert Recipe

This Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is soft, moist, and packed with warm spices, topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting for the perfect balance of flavor.