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Home » Cake Recipes » Old Fashioned Carrot Cake Recipe

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake Recipe

Updated By 68 Comments

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 Old Fashioned Carrot Cake Recipe

I found this Old Fashioned Carrot Cake recipe in one of my favorite Vintage Cookbooks. The cookbook is the Farm Journal’s Country Cookbook.

 

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake recipe via flouronmyface.com

Old Fashioned Easter Dessert Recipes

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.

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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 woman 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.

 

This Old Fashioned Carrot Cake recipe 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.

The original recipe is actually written for frosted carrot bars.

The vintage recipe says to divide the batter between (affiliate link)  two 9 x 13 baking pans, bake, cool and frost.

From the looks of the amount of batter, those would be some very thin cookie bars.

 

 

Old Fashioned Carrot Sheet Cake Recipe

This Old Fashioned Carrot Cake is moist and delicious.

It 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 Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons  pure vanilla extract (I used my homemade vanilla extract)
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

  1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
  2. Add vanilla extract and beat for one minute on high.
  3. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time.
  4. Beat until smooth and creamy.
  5. Frost Cake and sprinkle walnuts over the top.

 

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

  • 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.

Print the Old Fashioned Carrot Cake recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe below


 

Print

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake with Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews
Print Recipe

Description

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake Recipe

This Old Fashioned Carrot Cake recipe brings back Easter memories shared with a grandma when Carrot Sheet Cake would be on the dessert menu.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 2½ cups of finely grated carrot
  • 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 cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons  pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a bowl.
  4. In a separate large bowl beat the eggs and oil for 1 minute.
  5. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  6. Add the vanilla and beat just until incorporated.
  7. Fold the grated carrots into the egg mixture.
  8. Fold half the flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined.
  9. Fold remaining flour in.
  10. Beat batter for 1 minute.
  11. Pour into a prepared 9 x 13 baking pan.
  12. Bake for 25-35 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  13. Cool completely.
  14. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting Directions

Directions

  1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
  2. Add vanilla extract and beat for one minute on high.
  3. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time.
  4. Beat until smooth and creamy.
  5. Frost Cake and sprinkle walnuts over the top.
  • Category: Cake Recipes
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 508

Keywords: homemade carrot cake, moist carrot cake recipe, homemade carrot cake cream cheese frosting, best cream cheese frosting recipe

Recipe Card powered by

Helpful products for this carrot cake recipe.

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.

 

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About Arlene Mobley

Arlene Mobley author of Flour On My Face-a Food & Lifestyle website helping busy families get dinner on the table by serving easy recipes every week.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Aujourd'hui, j'ai testé

    Hi! Thank you for this recipe (I LOVE carrot cake), it looks nice and simple, and the pictures are great 🙂
    Unfortunately, I think there might have been a bug with the list of ingredients for the frosting; could you please give us the quantities?
    Thank you in advance!
    –Aujourd’hui, j’ai testé

    Reply

  3. Fdub

    Frosting amounts not complete. I really want to make this and I’ve never made a cake. Sounds like what my granny use to make for me.

    Reply

  4. Kirsten

    Arlene,
    My family loves carrot cake! My spouse even served it at his last promotion ceremony. He was worried that it wouldn’t be universally popular and I told him ‘dude, it’s YOUR promotion! If you want carrot cake, we’ll serve carrot cake!’ And hey guess what, it got all et up.
    I love old cookbooks–margarine aside they are just gems.
    Thanks!

    Reply

  10. Sharon Rowe

    I love home made carrot cake but I hate shredding carrots and now my kids have left home I have to do it myself and it is so boring! lol Thanks for inspiring me to have a go again! Visiting from Two Uses Tuesday!

    Reply

  11. Maria

    Your carrot cake looks absolutely amazing! I’m planning on making carrot cake cupcakes for Easter. Your frosting looks SOOOO good and the cake looks so moist!!! Happy Easter!

    Reply

  15. Laia

    Thanks Arlene, delicious recipe 🙂 hopefully your cake is going to make happy a little bunch of toddlers tomorrow, here in Italy :):)

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  16. Bobbie

    I made the carrot cake today, and it has turned out perfectly. I followed the recipe exactly. It will be the birthday present for my son-in-law…he said that he wants it as a birthday present as carrot cake is his favorite with buttercream frosting. I will also make marzipan carrots to decorate. I FOLLOWED THE RECIPE EXACTLY…but I baked it for 45 minutes until a toothpick came out clean. Your directions for the 9 x 13 is 25 to 35 minutes, but it was liquid in the center then…I believe my oven temperatures are correct…they are for everything else. I finely grated the carrots,( not the regular grating size,) as told to do, and I wonder if this increases the time to bake.

    Reply

  17. Bobbie

    adding on to my recent comment: I neglected to add that I used a glass 9 / 13, so perhaps that is the reason it took 45 minutes instead of 25 or 35.

    Reply

  18. Kathleen

    I have that very same cookbook! I love it, too. Haven’t made the frosted bars, but I have made the Carrot/Pecan Spice Cake in the book, first time was in 1983. I write notes in my books next to recipes I have made. It’s always fun to read them years later.

    Reply

  20. Chanellelangton

    I made this last night for my friends and family. First cake I have ever made! HUGE hit. Everyone said it was the best carrot cake they have ever tried. I used half a cup of apple sauce and a half a cup of avocado oil instead of 1 cup oil, and it was so moist. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Arlene Mobley

      Congrats on baking your first cake and impressing your friends and family with your baking skills. I’m glad to hear the cake turned out delicious with the changes you made. I bet the applesauce made the carrot cake extra moist and delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

  21. Monique

    For those of you who feel that shredding the carrots is a chore, simply cut carrots in pieces & shred in good processor……done in a snap!!!

    Reply

  23. Jim Orvis

    Terrific recipe! Thanks for sharing it! I made this yesterday and served it to about 16 people. They all loved it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Arlene Mobley

      Hi Anisha

      I have never cooked with a fan oven so I can’t suggest how long to bake this recipe. You’ll have to keep an eye on it and used the toothpick method in the center to check for doneness.

      Reply

  25. Janet

    My husband wanted a carrot cake but I wasn’t happy about some of the boxed mixes, so making this carrot cake was amazing! It came out as I would expect of the old fashioned cakes. The icing came out perfect too. Just so happens I made it today on our 43rd anniversary!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  27. Stela

    Hello. I have a question about this recipe. I would like to turn it into a small layer cake – what pan should I use, and what amendments should i make to the recipe? Thank you in advance! Greetings from Bulgaria.

    Reply

  28. Stela

    I would also like to know how many grams of carrots I should buy so that it makes up 2 1/2 cups of grated carrots. Thank you!

    Reply

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