Carrot Cake Sheet Cake

Everyone loves carrot cake, which is weird because a vegetable cake seems like an oxymoron. But carrot cake, in all its tender, earthy, cinnamon-y glory, is beloved. It’s a year-round cake, with a special feature come spring and Easter. But fixing up a double-layered carrot cake and frosting it just so can be a lot of work. Here, though, our carrot cake sheet cake takes the easier route, without eliminating the beloved taste or striking presentation.

While everyone can get behind tender carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, classic carrot cake has a lot of inclusions that not everyone appreciates. This carrot sheet cake recipe is made sans pineapple, coconut and raisins, and leans into a tangy cream cheese frosting instead of a traditional buttercream one.

Ingredients for Carrot Cake Sheet Cake

• Eggs: Bring the four eggs to room temperature. It may seem like an unnecessary step, but it helps the eggs blend into the cake batter evenly and helps the cake achieve a higher rise.
• Canola oil: Oil, rather than butter, keeps the cake moist and fluffier for longer. For more flavor, you can use melted butter in place of canola oil. Brown the butter first for a nuttier, deeper flavor.
• Sugar: We use granulated sugar to sweeten the carrot sheet cake. You will also need confectioners’ sugar to sweeten the cream cheese frosting.
• All-purpose flour: For the fluffiest, most moist cake possible, measure the flour properly, then sift it to knock out lumps. Too much flour will create a dry cake, and clumpy flour will cause overmixing, creating a dense cake—two big no-no’s!
• Leavening agents: Test your baking powder and baking soda if they’ve been hanging out in the cabinet for a while. If they’ve lost their potency, the cake won’t rise very well.
• Cinnamon: Sweet cinnamon adds a cozy factor that ties together the carrots and walnuts beautifully.
• Carrots: Always peel your carrots before shredding them. Peeling gets rid of that bitter, earthy outer layer, leaving only the sweet part. Shred the carrots on a box grater or in a food processor.
• Walnuts: Chopped walnuts add texture to the cake. I like to toast the nuts beforehand to bring out their nutty sweetness and take away their raw, bitter edge.
• Cream cheese frosting: In my opinion, all the best carrot cake recipes have cream cheese frosting. Make sure the cream cheese and butter are thoroughly softened before mixing so they don’t hold onto clumps. Speaking of clumps, sift your confectioners’ sugar to knock out any clumps so they aren’t suspended in the frosting.

Directions

Step 1: Make the batter

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the eggs, oil and sugar until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

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Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat well.

Step 2: Add the carrots and walnuts

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Using a rubber spatula, fold in the carrots and walnuts until they’re evenly dispersed.

Step 3: Bake the cake

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Pour the cake batter into a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Use a mini offset spatula to spread the cake out evenly, if needed. Slide the cake into the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

Step 4: Whip up the frosting

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In a bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract until smooth and lump-free. Pour in the confectioners’ sugar and beat it in, starting on the lowest speed so the confectioners’ sugar doesn’t puff out of the bowl. Once it’s incorporated, bump up the speed to high and beat until the frosting is fluffy.

Step 5: Decorate and serve

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Once the carrot sheet cake has cooled completely to room temperature, spread the cream cheese frosting over the cake. The cake must be at room temperature or the frosting will melt into it, even if the cake is only a little bit warm.

Sprinkle chopped walnuts all over the frosting and decorate further as desired. Serve and enjoy!

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Recipe Variations

• Change the nuts: Not a fan of walnuts? Omit them for pecans instead!
• Add more baking spices: Along with the cinnamon, add a tiny bit of nutmeg and ginger to punch up the cozy factor. These spices are strong and a little goes a long way, so use them sparingly.
• Bake in a different-sized pan: If you don’t own a 15x10x1-inch baking pan (aka a jelly-roll pan), feel free to use a 13×9-inch pan instead. Or, bake them in a muffin tin for cupcakes.

How to Store Carrot Cake Sheet Cake

Sheet-pan carrot cake can be stored covered in the fridge for up to four days. However, the cream cheese frosting is prone to bacteria, so it should never be kept out of the fridge for more than two hours.

Can you freeze carrot cake sheet cake?

Yes, you can freeze carrot cake sheet cake frosted or unfrosted. To freeze an unfrosted cake, allow the cake to cool completely to room temperature, then cover it with storage wrap. Pop it in the freezer for up to two months and thaw it on the counter at room temperature.

To freeze frosted carrot cake, place the cake, uncovered, in the freezer for one hour so the frosting hardens, then wrap the cake in storage wrap. You could also transfer slices to an airtight container. Freeze the cake for up to two months, then thaw it overnight in the fridge.

Carrot Cake Sheet Cake Tips

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How else can you decorate carrot cake sheet cake?

I love decorating carrot sheet cake recipes with tiny little carrot designs. To do this, reserve 1/2 cup of the frosting and divide the 1/2 cup between two bowls. Color one frosting orange and the other green, then add them to piping bags or zip-top bags with rounded piping tips. Randomly pipe the orange frosting into tiny carrot shapes across the frosted cake, then use the green frosting to add carrot fronds.

Another way to decorate this carrot sheet cake is with edible flowers. I love adding edible flowers, like pansies, peonies, violets and chamomile flowers, to cakes.

How can you keep carrot cake sheet cake moist?

To keep sheet-pan carrot cake moist, wait to frost the cake until just before serving. Cream cheese frosting must be refrigerated, but carrot cake can dry out a bit in the fridge. I would bake the cake a day in advance, then store the cake, covered, at room temperature to maintain moistness. You can make the cream cheese frosting a day in advance, too, but it must be stored in the fridge. An hour before serving, frost the carrot sheet cake, then serve. Keep in mind, though, that cream cheese frosting cannot be out of the fridge longer than two hours.

When should you serve carrot cake sheet cake?

You can typically find carrot sheet cake among Easter treats or spring desserts, but this cake really is a year-round specialty. Serve it whenever someone requests it for their birthday or when an easy dessert is needed for a picnic or potluck.