Spring is just around the corner so I’ve whipped up something that is easy and whimsical: sheet pan carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. This cake is non-threatening for the beginner baker – just mix up the ingredients and dump it into one pan. It’s like making brownies! This sheet pan carrot cake is a delicious addition to your Easter spread or even a birthday party (if they love carrot cake).
And yes, you can make this cake into cupcakes instead!
What is a carrot cake supposed to taste like?
Not carrots, surprisingly. If carrot cake gives you the creeps, I can confirm that it actually tastes like a spice cake, sweetened with cinnamon, ginger and sugar. It’s kind of like making zucchini bread – the vegetables’ water content make the cake exceptionally moist and airy. The carrots are shredded thin so they become homogenous with the cake batter, much like banana bakes.
Many carrot cake recipes feature additions like walnuts and raisins. Listen…..raisins are a no for me. I do not prefer those chunks in my soft and moist carrot cake. I only added chopped almonds to my cake (already had them on hand) but walnuts would taste pretty good. If you don’t like crunchy bits in a cake, just omit them completely!
A note on my cream cheese frosting
Cream cheese frosting is the perfect pairing for this cake. However, I’d like to note that I do not prefer very sweet frosting. So if you are a fan of grocery store cakes (for example), this frosting could underwhelm you.
Most standard cream cheese frosting recipes probably call for a couple cups of powdered sugar – my recipe only has 1/2 a cup. I think it’s delicious – if you don’t, add more sugar to yours!
Equipment needed for sheet pan carrot cake
Here’s what you need:
- A 9 x 13 sheet pan – I used this gold touch one from Williams Sonoma.
- stand mixer or electric mixer – you need this to whip your cream cheese frosting, not for the cake. Doing this by hand would not be fun.
- 2 piping bags – optional, for carrot decorations. I use a piping kit from Ateco.
- A frosting spatula – not totally needed but it’s nice to have. Use a regular butter knife in its place.
- 1 rubber spatula
- 2 large bowls – one for our batter and one for our frosting.
- A whisk
- A grater/ box shredder – I shredded my carrots with a cheese grater which worked fine. I used the medium side!
Ingredients for Sheet Pan Carrot Cake
Here’s what to add to your grocery list:
- About 4 large carrots – I would avoid baby carrots as they are harder to shred.
- granulated sugar
- vegetable oil – I used regular canola oil for this recipe. You could substitute coconut oil as well.
- milk – I used whole milk but you only need 1/4 cup, so almond or coconut would be fine too.
- 4 eggs
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour – gluten free 1:1 ratio flour works too.
- baking soda
- baking powder
- salt
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- slivered almonds – you can omit entirely or substitute walnuts, pecans, etc.
- 8 oz cream cheese – must be room temperature.
- unsalted butter
- powdered sugar
- green, yellow and red food coloring – this is also optional to decorate the cake. I bought a pack of food coloring that has red, blue, green and yellow coloring. I’m not sure orange is easy to find but it is easy to make.
Sheet Pan Carrot Cake Baking Tips
Grating your carrots: you don’t want your carrots to be chunky AT ALL. Use a medium or small side of a box grater to ensure the pieces are small. If you don’t have one, stick the grated pieces in a food processor to get them smaller if you need.
Ensure your spices aren’t old: if your cinnamon or ginger has been sitting on your shelf for a few years, consider buying new ones. Otherwise your cake’s flavor might be weak.
Frost a COOLED cake: if your cake is even a little warm, your cream cheese frosting is going to melt. Do yourself a favor and wait! You can even make the cake a day ahead of the frosting.
How to make Sheet Pan Carrot Cake
Let’s make it together!
Step 1
Make the batter. In a large bowl, add the shredded carrots, granulated sugar, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until well combined.
Step 2
In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Whisk together and then add those dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. With a spatula, fold the batter until just combined and homogenous.
Step 3
Pour in the almonds and fold into the batter.
Step 4
Bake the cake. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13 sheet pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan in an even layer. You might need to use the spatula to push the batter into the corners. Then place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. A knife should come out clean when inserted. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely. If you don’t, your frosting will become a big mess.
Step 5
Make the frosting. In a mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter for about 1 minute on medium speed until it’s whipped and fluffy. Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat together for another minute or two until homogenous and fluffy.
Step 6
If you’d like to decorate the cake with carrots, set aside two tablespoons of frosting in one small bowl and 2 tablespoons of frosting in another bowl. Add a few drops of green food coloring to one and a few drops of red and yellow food coloring to the other. Stir both thoroughly until you have consistent colored frosting.
Step 7
Frost the cake. Dump the cream cheese frosting onto the center of the cake. Using a spatula, gradually push the frosting outwards until it reaches the sides. This will create that fluffy, effortless look.
Add the orange and green frosting to separate piping bags (the piping tips cans be very basic). Pipe some orange carrots all over the cake and top it with little green tops. Sprinkle the cake with just a dash of cinnamon for an “earthy” garden look. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe Prep and Storage
To store your cake, leave the cake in the pan and cover the cake tightly with aluminum foil or a lid. It can sit at room temperature for about 3-4 days before the cake will begin to dry out. You can move it to the fridge to preserve the frosting and cake, but it will get quite dry and not as tasty.
You can also make the cake a day ahead, leave it at room temperature while covered, and then frost it the next day. I like to do this so that my cake is cooled but I’m not waiting around.
How to make carrot cake cupcakes
If you want to make this recipe into cupcakes, you definitely can! Make the recipe like normal and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard dozen well cupcake pan with cupcake liners (or grease them super well with butter or vegetable oil).
Fill each cupcake well 3/4ths full. Bake the pan for 12-15 minutes, until the centers look just set and the cupcakes don’t appear wobbly. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted. Be careful not to overbake them! This recipe will make about 18 cupcakes.
Make the frosting the same way. I piped it on and added a quick dusting of cinnamon. Be sure to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.
Other Cake Recipes to Try
If you liked this sheet pan carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, try out these other options on my blog:
Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream
Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting
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Sheet Pan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13 sheet pan
- stand mixer or electric mixer
- 2 piping bags optional, for carrot decorations
- 1 frosting spatula
- 1 rubber spatula
- 2 large bowls for batter and frosting
- 1 Whisk
- 1 grater to grate the carrots (a box shredder works)
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 1½ cups shredded carrots about 4 large carrots
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup milk dairy or nut
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ cup slivered almonds
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- green, yellow and red food coloring optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the shredded carrots, granulated sugar, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until well combined.1½ cups shredded carrots, 1½ cups granulated sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, ¼ cup milk, 4 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Whisk together and then add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. With a spatula, fold the batter until just combined and homogenous.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger
- Pour in the almonds and fold into the batter.½ cup slivered almonds
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a 9×13 sheet pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan in an even layer. Then place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. A knife should come out clean when inserted. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely.
- While the cake cools, make the frosting. In a mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter for about 1 minute on medium speed until it's whipped and fluffy. Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat together for another minute or two until homogenous and fluffy.8 oz cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, pinch of salt
- If you'd like to decorate the cake with carrots, set aside two tablespoons of frosting in one small bowl and 2 tablespoons of frosting in another bowl. Add a few drops of green food coloring to one and a few drops of red and yellow food coloring to the other. Stir both thoroughly until you have consistent colored frosting.green, yellow and red food coloring
- To frost the cake, dump the cream cheese frosting onto the center of the cake. Using a spatula, gradually push the frosting outwards until it reaches the sides. This will create that fluffy, effortless look.
- Add the orange and green frosting to separate piping bags (the piping tips cans be very basic). Pipe some orange carrots all over the cake and top it with little green tops. Sprinkle the cake with just a dash of cinnamon for an "earthy" garden look.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Make the batter like normal and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard dozen well cupcake pan with cupcake liners (or grease them super well with butter or vegetable oil).
- Fill each cupcake well 3/4ths full.
- Bake the pan for 12-15 minutes, until the centers look just set and the cupcakes don’t appear wobbly. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted. Be careful not to overbake them! This recipe will make about 18 cupcakes.
- Make the frosting the same way. I piped it on and added a quick dusting of cinnamon. Be sure to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.
