American
Carrot Cake
A spiced sheet cake loaded with grated carrots and finished with cream cheese frosting. It bakes until the center is set, then cools fully before the frosting goes on.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- Finely grated carrots melt into the crumb. Coarse shreds stay stringy.
- Oil, not butter, is what keeps this cake moist for days.
- The pineapple is drained so the batter does not turn soggy.
- Frosting waits until the cake is completely cool, or it will slide.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan.
- 2
Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- 3
In another bowl, whisk the eggs, vegetable oil, and 1 tsp of the vanilla.
- 4
Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until the flour disappears. Fold in the carrots, drained pineapple, and walnuts. Do not eat the raw batter.
- 5
Spread the batter in the pan. Bake 32 to 38 minutes, until the center springs back and a toothpick comes out clean.
- 6
Cool the cake completely in the pan.
- 7
Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and the remaining vanilla until smooth.
- 8
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Slice into 12 squares.
Pro tips
- Drain the pineapple in a sieve and press it. Extra juice makes a dense band at the bottom.
- If the top browns early, tent foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Walnuts can be left out, but toast them 6 minutes at 350°F if you want more flavor before they go into the batter.
Easy substitutions
- crushed pineapple
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- walnuts
- chopped pecans
- vegetable oil
- canola oil
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate covered up to 4 days because of the cream cheese frosting.
Reheating
Serve cold or let a square sit 15 minutes at room temperature. Do not heat the frosted cake.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 444
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Moderate · Oven
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From the kitchen
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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