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 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.

Sign up for my newsletter and never miss a new recipe!

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.

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

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake with Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

---

★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

• Author: Arlene Mobley-Flour On My Face
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 16 1x

Print Recipe

Pin 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 1x2x3x

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.