This moist carrot sheet cake with sweet cream cheese frosting is the perfect spring recipe! This is one of my favorite cakes to take to a potluck or even makes the perfect dessert for after Easter dinner! I always get rave reviews! Easier to make than a layer cake and without nuts for those who have a nut allergy!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A sheet pan carrot cake that's an easy recipe for beginners!
- A moist, smooth cake without pineapple, shredded carrots, or nuts!
- Great recipe for spring, summer, or Easter!
- A deliciously moist cake that serves a crowd!
Ingredient Notes
- Carrots - This recipe calls for pureed carrots instead of grated carrots for a smooth, consistent texture. You can steam and puree your own fresh carrots OR substitute 12 oz of Baby Food Carrots. To make pureed carrots, steam approximately 3 cups of diced carrots. Puree them in a blender or food processor, adding just enough water to make them a baby food consistency.
- Olive Oil - Canola, coconut, or other cooking oils may be substituted.
- Butter - I used salted butter. If using unsalted butter, increase the teaspoon salt called for by ½ tsp.
- Cream Cheese - Both regular and reduced-fat cream cheese work fine.
- Flour - All-purpose flour, not cake flour, and never self-rising flour.
Couple Things You'll Need
Step by Step Instructions
- Steam approximately 3 cups of diced carrots.
- Puree the carrots adding just enough water to make them a baby food consistency.
- You will need 1 ½ cups of pureed carrots.
- Set them aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13x17 baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the white sugar, olive oil, and large eggs together. You can use an electric mixer instead if you prefer.
- Add the pureed carrots and mix well.
- Add the baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and flour. Mix just until combined.
- Pour the batter onto the prepared pan, scraping all the batter out of the bowl with a rubber spatula as you go.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
- The cake should be slightly browned, and the center of the cake should spring back up when lightly touched.
- Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- For the homemade cream cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
- Beat until smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting on the top of the cake in an even layer.
- Store in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Can I substitute butter for the oil in this recipe?
No, the moistness of this cake is due to the use of cooking oil.
Is carrot cake healthy?
Despite having carrots in this cake, no it doesn't qualify as healthy or as a healthier alternative to regular cake.
Does this cake need to be refrigerated?
Yes, due to the cream cheese frosting, you should store this in the fridge.
How do you decorate a carrot cake?
Sheet cakes are meant to be simple, so when it comes to decorating them, I like to keep it simple. Run a cake comb over the top of the frosting for decorative ridges, or add fun sprinkles like autumn leaves or Easter carrot sprinkles!
More Recipes for a Carrot Cake Lover
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Easy Carrot Sheet Cake Recipe
Sheet cakes are great desserts! They travel well. They're easy to serve. And there are plenty of pieces for everyone! This moist carrot cake recipe is very easy, made with either pureed carrots or baby food, and can be ready in as little as an hour!
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 4 Eggs
- 2 Cups Sugar
- ¾ Cups Olive Oil
- 1 ½ Cups Pureed Carrots OR 3 4 oz containers of Baby Food Carrots
- 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 2 Cups Flour
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 12 oz. Cream Cheese room temp.
- 6 Tbs. Butter room temp.
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 4 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until they are well beaten.
- Add the sugar and oil. Mix well.
- Add the baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and flour. Mix just until combined.
- Stir in the pureed or baby food carrots and mix well.
- Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- For the cream cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.
- Frost the completely cooled carrot cake.
- Store in the fridge.
Notes
- To make pureed carrots, steam approximately 3 cups of diced carrots. Puree them in a blender or food processor, adding just enough water to make them a baby food consistency.
- For a quick alternative to steaming and pureeing your own carrots, substitute 3 (4 oz) containers of baby food carrots. Trust me, it's exactly the same thing, and nobody will ever know you used baby food.
- Sheet cakes are meant to be simple, so when it comes to decorating them, I like to keep it simple. Run a cake comb over the top of the frosting for decorative ridges, or add fun sprinkles like autumn leaves or Easter carrot sprinkles!
Nutrition
Calories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 1gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 147mgPotassium: 42mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 1222IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Suzanne Johnson
Perfect treat for Easter!
Suzanne Johnson
Looks so yummy!!
Vickie
This looks so good. Greg will love it! It will definitely be on the menu this week!!
L.S
This cake is GOOD! I could sit and eat it all! 🙂
Jeff
Best carrot cake
Roslia santamaria
This looks super tasty!! I can’t wait to give it a try! It’s all delicious ingredients 🙂
mindeescookingobsession
Thanks!