Crazy Carrot Sheet Cake

Spring is here and if you know me you know how happy that makes me. Spring is my absolute favorite time of year, all areas of my life feel so fulfilled during this time and the energy of the season is like a new creative burst of energy for me. That being said, I can’t wait for all the spring content I get to post on here! Although spring has been a little different this year with everything going on, I’m still ready to get as creative as can be! I’m going to start off with a cake that screams spring and that ladies and gents, is some good ol’ classic carrot cake. 

I personally feel there are two very different kinds of carrot cake. Plain classic carrot cake with just your spices, nuts and maybe raisins, or what’s gotten more popular over time which has pineapple, coconut, nuts, and raisins, etc. There seems to be a HUGE debate over which carrot cake is “right” from everything down to taste, texture, and even baking techniques. However, I’m not sure there’s a correct answer. I personally prefer just a basic carrot cake, so maybe I’ll do one of those on here one day. However, I wanted to give my shot at the kind of carrot cake with all the extra stuff in it, and I have to say, it was a huge hit for all the people in my life. Plus, this cake is so cute. It’s the perfect dessert for the season, and would be great for Easter! I hope you all enjoy 🙂

This cake truly is easy. You don’t even technically need a mixer for most of it. It’s sort of a throw and go situation which I’m always up for. To start, crack your eggs in a bowl and add the sugar, vanilla and whip until slightly aerated. Then slowly mix in the oil. I like using two different kinds of sugar in this cake because I feel the brown sugar adds a little more depth of flavor and certainly contributes to the moistness of the crumb. The oil rather than butter is also primarily used in carrot cakes to keep them moist.

Next, add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and baking soda to a separate bowl and whisk to combine. In this carrot cake I tried to keep the spice levels tamed so they wouldn’t make the other additions less complementary. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and gently fold tom combine. Don’t freak out if it is a little thick. The addition of carrots and pineapple will definitely loosen it up. 

Grate your carrots and fold them into the batter. I like to mostly use the smaller section of my grater so the carrots seamlessly blend into the batter. However, for about half of a cup I use the larger setting, just for a little extra added texture. That’s optional, but I would definitely recommend only using the small part of the grater for most of your carrots otherwise they may not cook right in the cake. 

Next, measure out your walnuts, raisins, coconut, and pineapple. The pineapple really seems to freak people out but it really is just there for added moisture to the cake. It is the same thing as people adding applesauce to their cake, which you can totally do instead. The pineapple weirdly works here though, so don’t be afraid of it! Add it all to the batter and gently fold in. Be careful not to over mix during all of this.

Pour into a 9×13” pan that has been greased and lined with parchment and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool and move onto the frosting.

Add the cream cheese and softened butter to your stand mixer or bowl with a hand mixer and whip until creamy. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully combined. Beat in the vanilla. Add almond milk one tablespoon at a time until you get your preferred texture. I used two tablespoons.

Once the cake has cooled, frost and decorate!! For clean slices refrigerate for a while, otherwise cut and serve that baby up!

I can’t wait to hear what you all think of this recipe and let me know how you like your carrot cake! Enjoy!

With Love,

Jenna