Easy Moist Carrot Sheet Cake
Print Pin VideoThis super easy and moist carrot sheet cake is bursting with flavor, infused with heaps of cosy spices, nuts and of course – carrots! Boasting the most wonderfully soft cake layer, and topped with a velvety, tangy cream cheese frosting, this carrot sheet cake is perfect for feeding (and pleasing!) a crowd. This recipe is a sheet cake version of my original 5 star rated carrot layer cake.
IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 2 cups (225 g) finely grated carrots - about 3 medium sized carrots
- 1 cup (190 g) canned pineapple - blended. Remove the liquid from the can before blending. Use canned pineapple in juice (not syrup).
- 2¼ cups (290 g) flour - plain, all purpose
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2½ tsp cinnamon - ground
- 1¾ tsp ginger - ground/powdered
- ¼ tsp cloves - ground
- ½ tsp nutmeg - ground
- 1½ cups (300 g) soft brown sugar - firmly packed (see note 2)
- 3 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- 3 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- ½ cup (110 g) yoghurt - unsweetened, room temperature.
- 1 cup (100 g) pecans or walnuts - coarsely chopped. I like to use both so I use 1/2 a cup of each.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 2¼ cups (285 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners sugar
- ¾ cup (167 g) cream cheese - cold, use a firm cream cheese
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract/essence
- ¾ tbsp lemon juice - freshly squeezed
Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) conventional (see note 1 if using a convection oven with a fan) and lightly grease a 9x13 inch cake pan (I use my homemade cake release). Line the bottom long ways with parchment paper (this will make it easier to take the cake out when it's done).
- Begin by peeling and finely grating your carrots and set them aside for later. Also prepare your pineapple - blend your canned pineapple (remember to discard the liquid before blending - see note 3) and set aside for later.
- In a bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Using a whisk, mix until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine soft brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, yoghurt and blended pineapple. Using a whisk, mix until well combined.
- Add your dry ingredients into your wet mixture and using a spatula, gently fold together until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add in the grated carrots and walnuts and/or pecans. Using a spatula, gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the cake tin, and then drop the cake tin lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles.
- Bake for 28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the cake tin for about 20 minutes and then turn it out onto a wire rack to completely cool, before frosting with the cream cheese frosting (recipe below).
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream your butter for a few minutes until it's light and fluffy. Either use a hand mixer or stand mixer on a medium high speed. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
- Add in the powdered sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next.
- Next add in the cold cream cheese, vanilla and fresh lemon juice. Mix just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing (see note 4).
Video
Notes
Note 1. If using a convection oven that has a fan function, bake at 160 °C (320°F) as the fan function bakes food faster.
Note 2. If using measuring cups for this recipe, then you want to firmly pack your soft brown sugar. To do this, pack your measuring cup with sugar and using the back of a spoon, press the sugar into the cup with a little bit of pressure (not too much) and then fill the remaining cup with more sugar.
Note 3. Although the liquid is removed from the canned pineapple before blending, the pineapple should still be relatively liquidy once blended. If it's very thick after blending, then add a little of the juice from the pineapple to the blended pineapple, or a little water will do the trick as well.
Note 4. Only mix the frosting until it's smooth. Once it's smooth stop mixing as over-mixing can result in a less stable frosting. This is because of the liquid in the cream cheese breaking down the powdered sugar.
Nutrition
Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 222mg | Potassium: 157mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 2467IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
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