This Carrot Cake recipe was created to deliver the nostalgic flavor of classic carrot cake in a pan that's easy to transport, slice, and share. The batter is whisked in a bowl and baked into soft, moist bars with warm spices, plenty of carrots, and a thick layer of cream cheese frosting.
Note from Erin
Carrot cake has always been one of my favorite desserts. My husband makes me a Carrot Pound Cake every year for my birthday, and I love it!
When I started working on this carrot sheet cake, I wanted a simple recipe that would be easy to bring to gatherings. This batter comes together with a whisk and bakes in a single pan.
I also kept the flavor traditional. No pineapple, coconut, or nuts competing with the carrots. Just a classic carrot cake like the old-fashioned sheet cakes I grew up loving.
Helpful Ingredient Tips
The recipe card at the bottom of this post includes the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
- Carrots: I recommend freshly grating your carrots because pre-shredded carrots have much less moisture and can dry out your cake. Even when I tested adding water to compensate, the bars were still drier than when using freshly grated carrots.
- Brown Sugar: I tested these bars with both granulated sugar and brown sugar, and the brown sugar version was noticeably better. It adds moisture and a deeper flavor that enhances the spices.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: This frosting is mostly cream cheese with just a little butter added. The butter gives the frosting a richer flavor and smoother texture while keeping the tangy cream cheese flavor prominent.
Tips to Make the Best Carrot Sheet Cake
Whisk the Eggs and Sugar
- After about a minute of whisking, the mixture should look slightly lighter in color and foamy across the top. This step helps incorporate a little air before the oil is added, which contributes to a softer crumb.
Mix in the Flour
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure no flour is hiding, but stop mixing when a few light streaks of flour are still visible. Overmixing can cause excessive gluten development, making the bars gummy.
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Add the Carrots
- Finely grated carrots tend to stick together, so take a moment to break apart any clumps as you fold them in, ensuring they are evenly mixed throughout the batter.
Bake in the Oven
- These bars are done when the center springs back gently when pressed, and the surface loses its wet shine. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs.
Top with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make sure the cake is completely cooled before adding the frosting, or it will melt into the cake.
Top Tip!
I shred the carrots using the small holes of a box grater. While thicker shreds work in a more rustic carrot cake, finer carrot shreds almost melt into the batter, softening as the cake bakes and creating a tender, uniform crumb.
Make Ahead⏳
I like carrot sheet cake even better the next day, as the spices settle into the cake. So I often make this in advance and store it in the fridge until I am ready to serve it.
Recipe
Classic Carrot Cake in a 9x13 Pan
Recipe by:Ingredients
Carrot Cake Bars
- 1 ¾ cups (385 grams) light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup (177 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 ¼ cups (288 grams) finely shredded carrots
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces (227 grams) full-fat cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter softened
- 2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper if desired for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs for about 1 minute, until they start to become foamy. Add the oil and vanilla, and whisk another minute, until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.1 ¾ cups light brown sugar, ¾ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg thoroughly in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold until only a few streaks of flour remain. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, but do not overmix.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- Gently fold in the carrots, breaking up any clumps, then spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.2 ¼ cups finely shredded carrots
- Bake for 28-32 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. The edges should be set but not dark.
- Cool completely in the pan before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then mix in the vanilla and salt. Beat until light and spreadable.8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Spread evenly over the cooled cake.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
The nutritional facts provided are only estimates. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Tammy says
Flavorful and very moist.
Erin Gierhart says
Thanks, Tammy! I appreciate you taking the time to share.