Carrot Sheet Cake
Carrot Sheet Cake is moist and tender with sweet cream cheese icing and pecans, perfect for Easter and spring gatherings.
Servings: 18
Calories: 392kcal
Equipment
- 9x13 Metal Pan
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Stand Mixer
- Spatula
Ingredients
CARROT CAKE:
- 250 grams all-purpose flour about 2 cups
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ½ tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground all-spice
- 200 grams granulated sugar about 1 cup
- 100 grams light brown sugar about ½ cup
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon whole milk
- 2 cups carrots finely shredded
- ¾ cup pecans chopped
ICING:
- 1 8 ounce brick cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- ½ stick butter salted, room temperature
- 4-5 cups icing sugar
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9x13 metal pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, add all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground nutmeg and ground all-spice. Whisk and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add brown and white sugars, vegetable oil, eggs, and milk and whisk well.
- Add the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix with a spatula.
- Fold in shredded carrots and pecans just until combined and pour batter into prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 26-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs when inserted into the center.
- Allow it to fully cool in the pan before icing, or transfer to a cooling rack/cutting board to ice.
- Make your icing by cream cheese and butter the base of a stand mixer and beat until combined and it starts to get lighter.
- Add in 2-3 cups of icing sugar to start, along with vanilla extract and salt. Beat again until combined and add in an additional 1-2 cups depending on the consistency and sweetness desired.
- Add icing to the cake and spread evenly, or to any desired pattern.
- If wanting to do carrot designs, add about 3 tablespoons of icing to 1 bowl and 1 tablespoon in another. Add 2 drops yellow and 1 drop red to mix to make orange. In the green bowl add 1 drop green food coloring and mix to combine.
- Place each color into a small plastic bag and cut a small corner then decorate as desired.
Notes
- Do Not Over-Mix: Be sure to mix the dry ingredients just until no dry streaks; this keeps the cake tender by keeping some air within the batter.
- Cool Before Frosting: Waiting for the cake to cool completely prevents the icing from melting off the cake. If you are pressed for time, chill the cake while you make your icing to make it a little cooler.
- Toast the Pecans: Adds extra depth, roast in the oven at 350F until they have a deep brown color (about 5-10 minutes).
- For Easy Decorating: Use a piping bag for the carrot designs or keep it simple with swirls of frosting.
- Shred Your Own Carrots: Pre-shredded carrots tend to be very dry and would pull moisture from the cake.
- Refrigerator: Once cooled, place in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Store in a freezer safe container when fully cooled for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
- Make Ahead: Shred the carrots up to 2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also whisk together the dry ingredients and keep them covered at room temperature until you’re ready to bake. For best results, mix the batter just before baking. The cake can be baked up to 24 hours ahead and stored covered at room temperature. Frost just before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 415mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 2443IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 1mg
