This is my sweet and perfectly spiced Easy Carrot Cake Recipe topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans. It will make a delicious addition to your special occasion desserts whether you serve it for brunch, tea parties, birthdays, graduations or holiday gatherings.

Ingredients to Make Carrot Cake Recipe

Carrot cake seems to show up on dessert menus in the South for special gatherings particularly around holidays like Easter and Thanksgiving. I love this tasty carrot cake way too much to limit it to just those special days. This carrot cake recipe is a homemade cake that’s baked in a sheet pan. Baking it in a single layer makes it easier to store chilled in the refrigerator than a classic layer cake and it’s easier to transport to other locations. There’s no need to make a carrot cake with a cake mix, fresh ingredients combined with pantry ingredients make the best carrot cake, no cake mix required. How to make the best single layer Carrot Cake Recipe: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

Flour – All purpose flour sifted with ground cinnamon, allspice or cloves, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. This cake doesn’t need baking powder.
Butter – Unsalted butter for richness.
Sugar – Granulated sugar and light brown sugar for sweetness.
Carrots – Finely grated fresh carrots.
Pineapple – 8 ounces of crushed pineapple adds moisture and flavor.
Coconut – Sweetened flaked coconut shreds.
Nuts – Toasted pecans or walnuts add crunch and texture.
Sour Cream – Make the batter super creamy.
Eggs – Whole eggs bind the cake batter.
Flavoring – Vanilla extract adds sweet creamy floral notes to the cake.
Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream cheese, salted butter, sifted powdered sugar and reserved pineapple juice.

How to Make the Best Easy Carrot Cake Recipe

Y’all know I love to bake. I do have one recipe in the recipe index for carrot cake that uses a cake mix, but this is one of those cakes I love to make completely from scratch. The perfect spice seasoning blend has been honed by me after experimenting for years to get it just right. The moist texture, taste and tender crumb never disappoints.

Prepare Pan and Heat Oven – Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 13×9-inch non-stick baking pan or spray with baking spray; set aside.
Toast Pecans – Spread pecans in an even layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Dry Ingredients – Use a whisk to sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice, ginger and nutmeg.
Wet Ingredients – In a separate large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat together melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl periodically, until creamy. ( Eggs and sour cream add flavor and moisture and give the cake structure.)
Combine – Lower speed of mixer and gradually add flour mixture beating to combine.
Mix-ins – Stir in carrots, pineapple, coconut and 1/2 cup toasted nuts. Fold by hand until evenly distributed.
Transfer to Pan – Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.
Bake – Bake per the recipe until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean. Cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack.
Make Cream Cheese Frosting – In a medium-size mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together cream cheese and butter. Add 4 cups powdered sugar and reserved pineapple juice. Beat until fluffy and smooth adding additional powdered sugar in rounded tablespoons if needed, until spreading consistency is reached.
Frost and Serve – Frost top of carrot cake and sprinkle with reserved toasted pecans.

Tips for Making Easy Carrot Cake

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: A stand mixer or a hand mixer, large bowl, medium bowl, measuring cups and spoons, 13×9-inch cake pan, sheet pan for toasting the nuts, box grater, sheet pan and offset spatula or knife for frosting the cake.
Should I Sift the Powdered Sugar? If there are lumps in the powdered sugar, it’s helpful to sift it using a fine mesh sieve before adding it to the remaining ingredients. This will ensure a smooth and fluffy frosting.
Peel Carrots: The carrots are peeled prior to grating for the cake batter. You can shred them by hand using a box grater or shred carrots using a food processor. Measure them by filling the measuring cup loosely, there’s no need to pack them in.
Line the Pan with Parchment: You can line the cake pan with parchment paper leaving overhang to form “handles” to make it easy to remove the entire cake form the pan to a platter. Especially, if you plan on frosting the sides of the cake or decorating the carrot cake for a special occasion.
When to Serve Carrot Cake: You can serve this cake for dessert year-round. It’s a tasty option for potlucks, picnics, tea parties, casual gatherings, Easter dessert, Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Recipe Variations

Sour Cream Substitution: You can use plain greek yogurt in place of sour cream. You could also add raisins to the carrot cake batter.
Nuts: You can substitute using walnuts in place of pecans for this carrot cake using the same amount called for in the recipe. I would also recommend toasting them the same way before adding them to the cake batter and garnishing the top.
Can This Cake be Made as a Layer Cake or a Bundt cake? Yes, this moist crumb cake can be baked in round layer pans or a bundt pan. Begin by baking at the recommended oven temperature, then check the center of the cake layers with a toothpick or cake tester to be certain they’re done. Add more baking time as needed, from that point. You may also need additional frosting for the cake layers and sides of the cake.
Make Cupcakes: You could also transform the cake batter into carrot cake cupcakes. When doing so, the baking time will need adjusting.
Double the Frosting: If you like a thicker frosting, the cream cheese frosting recipe easily doubles. Store any remaining frosting in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and whip with a mixer prior to using.
Oil: You can replace the melted butter with the same amount of vegetable oil or canola oil.

Storage and Leftovers

Leftovers: You can store this Carrot Cake covered with plastic wrap or foil and chilled in the fridge for up to one week.
Freezer Storage: Cover carrot cake with plastic wrap and then wrap in foil. Store frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.

More Easy Southern Sheet Cake Recipes to Make

I’m a skilled baker and love to make cakes in all shapes and forms. More cake recipes you may like to try from the recipe index:

My dreamy Coconut Cream Cake recipe is always a winning choice for dessert.
Scratch made Double Fudge Mississippi Mud Cake is topped with gooey marshmallows and chocolate frosting to seal the deal.
My recipe for easy Hummingbird Cake Poke Cake starts with a cake mix and no one will ever know!
My Double Chocolate Cake recipe can be frosted with any icing flavor that you enjoy.
For the holidays, you’ll love my Eggnog Poke Cake recipe with a citrus infused filling.
Dr Pepper Cake recipe from She Wears Many Hats.

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