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This easy Carrot Cake is deliciously moist and topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting! A nut-free sheet cake that is ready in 35 minutes and super simple to throw together.
I might have a slight obsession with sheet cakes but they’re so easy to make and don’t take much time in the oven! My super moist Apple Streusel Sheet Cake, this easy Lemon Sheet Cake Recipe or my easy Banana Cake are perfect examples.
They’re simple to throw together and feed a large crowd. This easy Carrot Cake is no exception!
Made with finely grated carrots and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg this easy sheet cake is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Everyone will want seconds!
I think I’ll need to work a bit on my cake slicing skills, it looks a bit crooked. But I was so impatient and wanted a piece of this deliciously smelling cake in my belly as soon as possible.
The good thing is that this cake doesn’t take much time to make. No need to use a cake mix, this cake is so easy to make from scratch and is ready in under ONE hour. That’s what I love about sheet cakes, only 20 minutes in the oven and they’re done!
While the cake is in the oven make the sweet tangy cream cheese frosting. I like my cream cheese frosting more on the tangy side because I think if it’s too sweet it’s overpowering the delicate carrot cake taste and that would be a shame.
This cake is super moist and tender. It has a fluffy texture and is not as dense as many other carrot cakes. If you like my Easy Banana Cake Recipe or my Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel you’ll love this carrot sheet cake!
To make this cake you don’t need a stand mixer just use a bowl and a spatula and you’re good to go. Super simple and it makes cleaning up much easier! Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another like when you make muffins.
Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Because this cake is made in a sheet pan it bakes and cools much quicker. It feeds a whole crowd and is a perfect dessert for Easter or any other occasion where you need a simple delicious cake but don’t have the time to be artsy and make a layered cake.
A great way to dress up the cake a bit would be to decorate it with edible sugar carrots!
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Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, 250g
- 1 cup vegetable oil, 240ml
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups finely grated carrots, 250g
- 1 large orange, zest finely grated
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, 250g
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 stick butter, room temperature, 60g
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted, 100g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz cream cheese, 225g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 13x9-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs with a spatula. Add grated carrots and orange zest. Mix until combined.
- In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sift the dry mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
- Mix together until just combined.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool down completely before frosting it.
- To make the frosting, beat together butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract and cream cheese and beat until blended. Frost cooled cake.
Nutrition
I cannot believe myself i can bake it perfectly at the first try! Thank you so much.
Can you add raisins to this recipe?
I‘ve tried a few carrot cake recipes but this is the gold standard for me! The cake is perfectly moist and the frosting is delicious and not overpowering.
Extremely delicious. My family loved it.
Made these and they are delicious – the best recipe ever! The timings were perfect – 20 minutes was just right! They look and taste amazing! Bought sweetie carrot decorations for the top from Amazon and it just made them look even more appealing!
PS I’m not even a confident baker!
This cake is gorgeous!! Do yourself a favour and give it a try. So simple to make too!! Love it!! Thank youfor sharing this recipe
I just done the carrot cake recipe and I did exactly what it’s said and is perfect!! Thank you
I love this recipe.
Twenty minutes in the oven seems way too short, and I just got to 20 minutes on my timer and it is still batter. Just an FYI for readers.
40 mins it took to bake in my fan assisted oven
This looks so good – I have never tried making carrot cake from scratch but am willing to give it a go! x
Izzy