The Best Sheet Cake Carrot Cake Recipe

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A slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on a white plate. A fork takes a bite from the cake.

The Best Sheet Cake Carrot Cake Recipe

An easy and moist carrot cake with cream cheese icing, baked in a 13x9" dish. No fancy ingredients or tricky layers, just a perfect, crowd-pleasing dessert for family gatherings!

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Servings: Pieces

Author: Michelle

Ingredients

For The Carrot Cake:

3 cups grated carrots *see note
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
4 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons of chopped maple walnuts for garnish (optional)

For The Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz 1 block cream cheese, softened
12 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange zest optional

Instructions

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 13x9" baking dish. * Reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF if using a dark coated pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
Combine the oil, sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a medium sized bowl and whisk until well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold until halfway combined. Lumps and streaks of flour should still be visible.
Next, add the grated carrots and continue folding until the carrots are evenly distributed and no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick, but will loosen up once the carrots start releasing liquid.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350ºF for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set the cake aside to cool.
While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese icing.

To make the cream cheese frosting:

In a large bowl with an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sour cream and butter together on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 20-30 seconds.
Add the powdered sugar, orange zest, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 15-20 seconds, then switch to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until light, fluffy and smooth.
Chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before using and spread the icing on the carrot cake once its completely cooled.
Sprinkle the top of the cake with chopped maple walnuts, and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

Grate the carrots yourself. You'll need 3 large carrots or 4-5 smaller carrots for this recipe. The carrots should be peeled and washed well before grating.
Make the cake 6 hours or up to a day in advance. The texture and flavor get better as it sits.
Leftover cake with cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated.

Cuisine Desserts

Course Sweets

Nutrition