Ingredients
Carrot cake
- 300 g carrots freshly finely grated; weigh after trimming and grating, without squeezing dry
- 250 g all-purpose flour about 2 cups, spooned and leveled
- 300 g packed light brown sugar about 1½ cups
- 180 ml canola oil ¾ cup
- 3 large eggs about 150 g without shells
- 2.5 tsp double-acting baking powder 10 g
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon 5 g
- 0.5 tsp fine salt 3 g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 ml; reserve another 1 tsp for the frosting
Cream cheese frosting
- 226 g full-fat brick cream cheese one 8-oz block, softened just until pliable
- 56 g unsalted butter 4 tbsp, softened but not melted
- 180 g powdered sugar about 1½ cups; sift if lumpy
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 ml; total vanilla for cake and frosting is 2 tsp (10 ml)
Equipment
- 9-by-13-inch light metal baking pan
- Oven-safe parchment paper
- Box grater with fine holes
- Kitchen scale, measuring cups, and measuring spoons
- Two mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Hand mixer with beaters
- Toothpick or cake tester
- Wire cooling rack
- Offset frosting spatula
- Knife
Instructions
Bake, cool and frost
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9-by-13-inch light metal pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.
- Finely grate the fresh carrots and weigh out 300 g after trimming and grating. Do not squeeze out their moisture. In one mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
- In the second bowl, whisk the eggs, light brown sugar, canola oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth and well combined. Fold in the dry ingredients with a silicone spatula just until no dry flour remains, then gently fold in the grated carrots. Stop mixing when the carrots are evenly distributed.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake on the center rack for 30–40 minutes, starting to check at 30 minutes. The center should spring back lightly when gently touched, and a tester inserted into the center should carry a few moist crumbs without wet batter. If wet batter remains, bake a little longer and check again.
- Set the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool completely, about 90 minutes. Allow more time if any warmth remains. During the final 20–30 minutes of cooling, take the cream cheese and butter out of the refrigerator so they soften just until pliable; do not melt them.
- Once the cake is completely cool, beat the cream cheese and butter together with the hand mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar on low speed, then add the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat briefly until smooth and spreadable, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Spread all the frosting over the cooled cake in a thin, even layer with an offset spatula. Cut into twelve squares in four columns and three rows. Keep the frosted cake covered and refrigerated at 40°F or below; take out only the portions being served.
Video
Notes
Times are planning estimates: 25 minutes active preparation includes making the frosting, about 35 minutes baking, and about 90 minutes cooling. Bake to the stated center cues and cool longer if needed.
Use fresh finely grated carrots and the specified light metal pan for the described crumb and timing. This version uses baking powder only and has no nuts, raisins, pineapple, or added milk.
Never taste raw batter. Wash tools and work surfaces after handling flour and eggs, and use clean equipment for the frosting.
Keep the frosted cake covered at 40°F or below. Refrigerate within 2 hours of frosting or serving, or within 1 hour above 90°F; count all time out of refrigeration together. For quality, plan to eat the covered refrigerated cake within 3–4 days.
Estimated ingredient cost: about $6.17 for the cake and frosting, or $0.51 per square. This uses prorated US online package prices read on October 22, 2026, including a 350 g whole-carrot shopping allowance for 300 g prepared carrots. Local prices and trim vary; tax, energy, and equipment are excluded.
Video credit: Chelsweets shows a carrot sheet cake with cream cheese frosting in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Her version uses buttermilk, additional spices, baking soda, and a different frosting; follow this card for Spoonvale's baking-powder-only batter, quantities, and timing.