This Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect dessert for Easter. A simple sheet cake covered with the most delicious cream cheese frosting – this will become a new holiday favorite!
I grew up in a carrot cake obsessed community. And since I have a spring birthday, I often had a nice big carrot cake – obviously studded with frosting carrots – as my birthday cake.
Then I moved out and had to make my own cake, and what can I say… Carrot is still my favorite.
And this recipe? The BEST.
Carrot Cake Video Tutorial:
Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
I’ve made this particular cake SO many times.
I even made it at a camp once. For 60 people. That was fun ?
I also brought it to our local school’s bake sale a couple of weeks ago, and what can I say? I’m still getting recipe requests.
The best part though? It’s SO simple to make. Super moist. Lightly spiced. And definitely delicious.
A word of warning though:
There’s no pineapple, no raisins and no coconut in here. Instead, lots of shredded carrot and pecans. That’s the kind of carrot cake I grew up with, and I will never be in love with anything of those fancy mix-ins added to it.
How to Make Carrot Cake:
What ingredients are in carrot cake?
The base of this cake is very simple – butter, sugar, flour, spices.
Then it has shredded carrots and finely chopped pecans added.
What’s special about mine is that I’m using mainly light brown sugar – the deeper flavor goes so well with the spices, and keeps the cake nice and moist.
What kind of frosting goes on carrot cake?
My favorite is definitely cream cheese frosting!
If you’re not into cream cheese frosting, the cake is also nice with a simple vanilla icing, or even just dusted with powdered sugar.
How to decorate a carrot cake?
I’m REALLY not someone who enjoys adding dainty decorations to desserts.
So I go for a rustic look here: Frosting, chopped pecans and frosting carrots.
It’s simple but effective, and super quick and easy to do.
Should carrot cake be refrigerated?
Yes, definitely with the cream cheese frosting on.
If you frost it right before serving, the cake is fine wrapped tightly with plastic wrap on the counter for 2 days.
More Easter desserts you’ll love:
Printable recipe
Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅔ cup melted butter slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound peeled carrots cut into rough chunks
- 1.5 cups pecans
For the Frosting:
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar or more if you prefer a sweeter frosting
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
To Decorate
- chopped pecans and frosting carrots
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with baking parchment.
- Mix wet ingredients: Place eggs, both sugars, melted butter and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Beat well with a hand mixer using the beater attachments (can also use a whisk but it will take longer; can also use a stand mixer but be careful not to overbeat).
- Add dry ingredients: Sprinkle flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg and salted evenly over the egg mixture. Beat on low until well mixed and smooth.
- Add carrots and pecans: Place carrots and pecans in a food processor with the blade attachment and pulse until finely ground (do NOT turn into paste!). Stir into the cake batter until well combined.
- Bake: Pour cake batter in prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
- To make the frosting: Beat all frosting ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Spread on the cake. Decorate with chopped pecans and frosting carrots, if you like.
Tiffany says
Can I make this a round cake instead of a sheet cake?
Nora says
Tiffany, you could bake this in two 9-inch or 8-inch cake pans. Then assemble into a round cake with a layer of frosting in between. Hope this helps!