My soft and fluffy Carrot Cake, made with homemade cream cheese frosting, always steals the show! I’m a big fan of this recipe, and I love how you can mix it up to make it your own. I made this a sheet pan cake to keep this recipe easy and approachable. I also kept things fairly simple, with raisins mixed in the batter and a few chopped pecans on top. It’s delicious and absolutely perfect for special occasions or any time you’re craving a simple carrot cake. Like maybe this weekend? 😉
This recipe is just like my carrot muffins recipe, except I scaled it up to bake in a 9×13” baking dish and smothered it in the BEST carrot cake frosting made with cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and a touch of vanilla. I always use freshly grated carrots for the best texture and flavor, and I promise it’s worth the extra few minutes. Everything else is just super simple staples you probably already have on hand! This cake is my only choice for a last-minute dessert for Easter, birthdays, or, honestly, anytime I want a lightly spiced, moist carrot cake (which is often!!).
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Gather all of your ingredients.
Grate the carrots: Preheat your oven to 350°F. If you haven’t already, wash, peel, and grate 4-5 large carrots using a box grater. I use the small/fine holes on my box grater. You need 3 cups of finely grated carrots for this recipe. Set the grated carrots to one side.
Whisk together the dry ingredients: Add 2 cups flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, and ½ tsp ground ginger to a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.
Whisk together the wet ingredients: Add 4 large eggs, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar, ⅔ cup apple sauce, ¾ cup cooking oil, and 2 tsp vanilla extract to a separate mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined.
Make the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be very careful not to overmix at this point.
To the cake batter, add the grated carrots and ¾ cup golden raisins (if using) and fold them in carefully until just combined.
Bake: Either grease a 9×13” baking dish with butter or line it with parchment paper, as I did here. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake in your preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (with no wet batter).
Let the cake cool completely at room temperature before you add the cream cheese frosting.
Make the frosting: Add 8 oz. softened cream cheese, 6 Tbsp softened butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 cup of powdered sugar to a large bowl.
Use a handheld mixer to mix the frosting ingredients together. Now, continue to add the rest of the powdered sugar (1 cup at a time). Keep mixing with the mixer after each addition. Blend until all the powdered sugar is added and the frosting is creamy and smooth.
When your cake is cooled (and only when it is cooled!), spread the homemade cream cheese frosting on top.
Now, sprinkle ½ cup chopped pecans over top. Slice your sheet pan carrot cake into 15 slices (or as many slices as you want), and serve!
I’ve only ever used a baking dish for this carrot cake recipe, as I love the ease and convenience of a sheet pan cake! But I don’t see why you couldn’t turn this recipe into a layer cake if you wanted to. This recipe makes enough batter to fill a 9×13” baking dish, which is roughly equivalent to two 9” round cake pans. I’d divide the batter evenly, bake, and make sure the layers are completely cool before frosting.
Your cakes will definitely cook quicker in a round cake pan, so I’d check them at around the 30-minute mark. If a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, they’re done.
Keep any leftover slices in an airtight container (or wrapped in plastic wrap) in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let them sit out at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving to let the frosting soften a bit. I actually really like my carrot cake most after it’s had a little time to rest. The flavors deepen, and the frosting soaks into the cake just a bit, making it extra moist and dreamy. You can also freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature before frosting.
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