Carrot Cake Sheet Cake

If you love traditional carrot cake, this Carrot Cake Sheet Cake is the real deal, just designed to feed a crowd. It’s unbelievably soft and moist with a tangy cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Cool Time1

Total Time2

Servings:

Calories: 474kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

2 cups shredded carrots or about 3–4 medium whole carrots, finely grated
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar packed
3 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup pecans finely chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese softened
½ cup unsalted butter softened
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

¼ cup pecans finely chopped
½ cup orange colored candy melts
12 small pieces of leafy carrot tops washed and patted dry

Instructions

Prepare the carrots

If using pre-packaged shredded carrots, add them to a food processor and pulse a few times just to break them up slightly and release a bit of moisture. Do not puree.
If grating carrots from whole, grate them finely using a box grater or the shredding blade of a food processor. Set carrots aside.

For the cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for easy removal. Lightly grease.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently mix with a spatula just until combined. Do not overmix.
Fold in the prepared carrots and chopped pecans.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting

In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Gradually add the powdered sugar. Mix in the vanilla extract. Beat until light and creamy.

For the carrot decorations

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt the orange candy melts according to package instructions. Add to a piping bag with the tip cut or a small round tip.
Pipe into small triangular shapes with a slight zig-zag or spiral texture to resemble tiny carrots. Make 12 total.
Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes, or until fully set. Set aside until ready to decorate.

Assemble

Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled cake.
Sprinkle chopped pecans around the edges of the cake.
For each serving, place a small leafy carrot top on the frosting, then gently set one candy carrot on top so it appears attached to the stem. Slice into 12 pieces and serve.

Notes

For best results, use freshly and finely shredded carrots for this sheet pan carrot cake recipe. Drain excess moisture as well!
Avoid overbaking your carrot sheet cake, so it isn’t dry and crumbly. When you insert a toothpick into the center, it should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
Allow the carrot cake to cool completely before adding the cream cheese frosting so it doesn’t melt.

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