This carrot sheet cake is tender, moist, and full of warm spice and shredded carrot. It’s finished with a fluffy toasted pecan cream cheese frosting—simple to make, crowd-pleasing, and great for potlucks.
It’s officially carrot cake season!
This carrot cake sheet cake is easy to prepare, packed with carrot flavor and warm spices, and topped with the lightest toasted pecan cream cheese frosting. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd because you can make it ahead—the cake keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.
Full disclosure: I wasn’t always a carrot cake fan. Childhood versions often included raisins and sometimes dense nuts, and I didn’t love vegetables in my desserts. Over time I warmed up to carrot cake—mostly because of cream cheese frosting, which I adore—and the right combination of nuts, like pistachios or toasted pecans, added the buttery, salty contrast I needed.
This sheet cake is inspired by other favorite sheet cakes: pumpkin and banana versions that are simple, moist and made to feed a group. I use plain Greek yogurt in the batter, which brings reliable moisture and a tender crumb without weighing the cake down.
The frosting is classic cream cheese whipped with butter and powdered sugar, and it gets a nutty finish with pecans toasted while the cake bakes. Toasting the pecans brings out a deeper flavor and adds a satisfying crunch when sprinkled over the frosting.
I store this cake in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting. Chilled, the cake is still delicious—many of us prefer it cold—and it holds up well for a few days, which makes it ideal for preparing the day before serving.
That cloud of frosting on top is one of my favorite parts. With the toasted pecans scattered over it, the texture and flavor are irresistible.
Carrot Cake Sheet Cake
Greek Yogurt Carrot Cake Sheet Cake
12 slices
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ⅔ cups finely grated carrots
Toasted pecan cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
- Toast the pecans first: spread them on a baking sheet and bake 8–20 minutes until golden and fragrant. Let cool, then chop.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in the oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract.
- Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the grated carrots until evenly dispersed.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake 35–40 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Toasted pecan cream cheese frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until combined, adding more sugar if needed to reach desired sweetness and consistency. Beat in the vanilla.
- Frost the cooled cake, top with the toasted chopped pecans, and refrigerate. Serve chilled.
If you prefer a non-vegetable dessert, try a chocolate sheet cake for a crowd instead.