Make a traditional Easter dessert families have been enjoying for many years. The cake is moist and tender with just right right amount of sweetness so the cream cheese frosting compliments the cake.
Everyone loves carrot cake during the Easter holiday. Make it in a sheet pan and spread on the frosting.
Sprinkle some crushed walnuts on top and you have the perfect sheet cake to enjoy for dessert!
Old Fashioned Easter Dessert Recipes
I found this Old Fashioned Carrot Cake recipe in one of my favorite Vintage cookbooks. The cookbook is the Farm Journal's Country Cookbook.
Originally printed in 1959 the copy I purchased is the revised version from 1972. The preface says this Silver Jubilee version includes some of the best recipes published in the Farm Journal since 1947.
Love old fashioned dessert recipes? I share them all the time.
The first time I flipped through the recipes I immediately fell in love.
Reading this passage from the front flap makes me think that even today with all the advances we have families are very much the same and are still striving to feed their families well.
All over America, people look to the country for "the good life"-- fresh air, simple pleasures, and good country food, fresh from the farm! Home cooking is more valued today than ever before-with wholesome fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, eggs and milk.
Carrot Cake is one of those recipes most people only enjoy during the Spring.
Traditionally it is an Easter or Springtime dessert. I don't know why this is because I love Carrot Cake all year long.
This recipe is very moist and delicious.
The cake is just sweet enough so the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting is just right.
If you are looking for a carrot cake recipe just like grandma made then this is it.
Your family may also have called it a Carrot Sheet Cake recipe because back in the day when a cake was made in a large 9 x 13 pan cakes were called sheet cakes.
How to make an Old Fashioned Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 2½ cups of finely grated carrot
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups of sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup of vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Directions
Step 1: Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 F. degrees.
Step 2: Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a bowl.
Step 3: In a separate large bowl beat the eggs and oil for 1 minute.
Step 4: Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Step 5: Add the vanilla and beat just until incorporated.
Step 6: Fold the grated carrots into the egg mixture.
Step 7: Fold half the flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined.
Step 8: Fold remaining flour in. Beat batter for 1 minute.
Step 9: Pour into a prepared 9 x 13 baking pan.
Step 10: Bake for 25-35 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 11: Cool completely before frosting with Cream Cheese Frosting.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
There are many cream cheese frosting recipes out there. This one is an oldy but a goody and compliments the cake perfectly. Everyone will be begging for the recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- powdered sugar: The main ingredient when making cream cheese frosting. It may be called confectioners sugar, icing sugar or 10x sugar where you live.
- cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese for the best flavor. Make sure the cream cheese has come to room temperature before making the frosting. Cold cream cheese is almost impossible to beat to a creamy smooth texture needed for frosting.
- butter: no substitutions please. Use unsalted room temperature butter. If the butter is not room temperature it will there will be lumps of butter in your frosting.
- Vanilla extract: I prefer pure vanilla extract. Imitation extracts do not taste very good. (I used my homemade vanilla extract)
- Nuts: walnuts are the traditional nut in carrot cake recipes. In a pinch you could use chopped pecans instead.
Scroll down below to the printable recipe card where you will find the ingredient amounts, directions and for one-click printing or to Pin the recipe.
Directions
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
- Add vanilla extract and beat for one minute on high.
- Add powdered sugar one cup at a time.
- Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Frost Cake and sprinkle walnuts over the top.
FAQS
How to make a moist carrot cake from scratch is easy to do when you use a recipe that uses oil. Make sure you use freshly shredded carrots full of moisture and do not over bake the cake. Overbaking a carrot cake will make it dry.
Carrot cake is so much better made with oil. The oil helps make carrot cake moist and tender.
Recipe Expert Tips
- Grating or shredding carrots for carrot cake: The best homemade carrot cake uses finely grated carrot pieces. Use the smallest side of a box grater or use a fine shredder like you would use to shred hard cheese or to zest citrus.
- Cake leavening agent: Use fresh baking soda that has no expired. The baking soda is the leavening agent use to help the cake rise. If the baking soda is expired the cake may not rise.
- Cake pans: This recipe is made in a sheet pan. You can also use two 8 inch round cake pans to make a layer cake.
- Make a moist carrot cake: Overbaking is the number one cause for a dry carrot cake. Start checking the carrot cake at least 15 minutes before the suggested baking time is up.
- Storing: Cover the cake pan loosely with aluminum foil and refrigerate until serving. Cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated.
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Old Fashioned Carrot Cake with Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2½ cups grated carrot (finely grated)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1 stick butter (softened)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup walnuts (chopped (optional))
Instructions
- Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a bowl.
- In a separate large bowl beat the eggs and oil for 1 minute.
- Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and beat just until incorporated.
- Fold the grated carrots into the egg mixture.
- Fold half the flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined.
- Fold remaining flour in.
- Beat batter for 1 minute.
- Pour into a prepared 9 x 13 baking pan.
- Bake for 25-35 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting Directions
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
- Add vanilla extract and beat for one minute on high.
- Add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Frost the cake and sprinkle walnuts over the top.
Video
Recipe Expert Tips
- Grating or shredding carrots for carrot cake: The best homemade carrot cake uses finely grated carrot pieces. Use the smallest side of a box grater or use a fine shredder like you would use to shred hard cheese or to zest citrus.
- Cake leavening agent: Use fresh baking soda that has no expired. The baking soda is the leavening agent use to help the cake rise. If the baking soda is expired the cake may not rise.
- Cake pans: This recipe is made in a sheet pan. You can also use two 8 inch round cake pans to make a layer cake.
- Make a moist carrot cake: Overbaking is the number one cause for a dry carrot cake. Start checking the carrot cake 15 minutes before the suggested baking time is up.
- Storing: Cover the cake pan loosely with aluminum foil and refrigerate until serving. Cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated.
Nutrition
This (affiliate link) 9 x 13-inch baking pan with lid is perfect for this Carrot Sheet Cake recipe.
It makes taking this homemade carrot cake recipe to family gatherings easy.
No worries about smashing the frosting.
PJ
Best carrot cake ever! Made it for Easter and everyone raved about how good it was!
Lo Simon
Made this cake for Easter. It is now my husbands favorite cake. I used 1 cup brown sugar and one white because I was low on white sugar. I will be making this again very soon. Thank you!