I’m a big fan of planning everything out. Like everything. My day is scheduled nearly down to the minute almost every day. I know what time I’m waking up and exercising and blogging and eating dinner. I know what I’m having for dinner and when I’m going to the store. Or the mall. I have it all neatly organized in my head.
And then things happen. Bad things. Very bad, schedule ruining things. Things that throw my entire day off track and send my brain searching for ideas of how to regain control.
Like the other day when I had it in my head I was going to eat dessert. A freshly made, cupcakey dessert with fluffy, silky smooth frosting. Cupcakes from a cookbook I’d just received from a well-known baker. And then I made the cupcakes and knew the batter wasn’t quite right. Okay maybe not right at all is more like it, but I went ahead and baked them off. Thankfully I put foil under the cupcake tin or the day would have gotten a lot worse.
The cupcakes didn’t rise. Instead, they kind of like . . . melted. And oozed all over the place. I baked them longer than the stated time. When they were still raw and gross, I have up.
But I had that image of cake and frosting in my head and I couldn’t let it go. Nothing in the freezer met the criteria. Though I didn’t really have the time or energy, I had to make something else. After scouring my bookmarks, I settled on a single layer carrot cake from The Kitchn.
I mean carrot cake. Yum! And The Kitchen. Yay! I knew . . . okay my confidence was shaken, so I hoped, that it would turn out spectacularly. And it did. I kind of devoured a huge piece of this cake and loved every second.
It was easy to make and made with all pantry staples, making it a great recipe to make without any preparation and also making it easy on the wallet, the theme of this week’s Sunday Supper. There’s not need to run to the store for crème fraiche or some other specialized ingredients. Nope. Just take a trip to your pantry and refrigerator and get to baking!
You will thank me once you do. This fluffy cake is so moist and has that classic slightly spiced flavor we have all come to expect from carrot cake. And the frosting. Oh my, the frosting. Creamy, melt in your mouth frosting with tons of vanilla bean seeds. I had to splurge on those because I don’t think cream cheese frosting is the same without them, but plain old vanilla extract will work just fine. So maybe for once I’m kind of glad my plans didn’t work out.
Carrot Cake Sheet Cake #SundaySupper
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 generous servings 1x
Ingredients
- Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup canola oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups freshly grated carrots
- Frosting
- ½ stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Make the cake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 9 by 13 inch pan.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, stir together vanilla, oil, and sugar until well combined. Alternately add the flour mixture and eggs to the sugar mixture, beginning with the flour and ending with the eggs, doing 3 additions of each. Mix until well combined. Stir in the carrots.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and smooth into an even layer. Carefully bang the pan on the counter a couple times to release any air bubbles. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the cake has puffed, is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan.
- Make the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese together using a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and beat until creamy and fully incorporated. Taste the frosting and see if you want to add any more sugar.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake, cut into pieces, and serve. Cake may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Kitchen
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
Don’t forget to check out the other Sunday Supper dishes!
Scrumptious Mains (Breakfast and Dinner)
- Curry Baked Chicken Wings from Chocolate Moosey
- Shrimp Fried Rice from The Redhead Baker
- Spicy Marinated Steak Tacos from Nik Snacks
- Vegan Black Bean Soup from Killer Bunnies, Inc
- Slow Cooker Swiss Steak from Nosh My Way
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili from Peaceful Cooking
- Curry Veg Soup from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Beef from Noshing With The Nolands
- Tortelini and Cannelini Minestrone with Spinach from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Addictive Korean Beef Bowl from A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
- Grilled Lemon Chicken with Corn Salad from Brunch with Joy
- Five Bean Chili from The Foodie Army Wife
- Vaca Frita from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Chicken Pot Pie Turnovers from The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch
- Spaghetti Squash Nests with Meatballs from Curious Cuisiniere
- Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Cauliflower Chowder from Flavor Mosaic
- Individual Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Cups from Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole from Yours And Mine Are Ours
- Mac, Veggie and Cheese Casserole from Cooking Chat
- Loaded Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes from Having Fun Saving
- Vegetable Fried Rice from Basic N Delicious
- Comforting White Bean-Pancetta Soup from The Weekend Gourmet
- Mujadara with Lebanase Salata from Take A Bite Out of Boca
- Hunters Stew from Simply Healthy Family
- Brats and Kraut from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
- Beef Taco Soup from Fit Foodie Runs
- Slow Cooker “Hash Brown” Breakfast Casserole {#lowcarb #glutenfree} from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- French Toast Pigs in a Blanket from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
- Gluten Free Spinach and Feta Frittata from Gluten Free Crumbley
Satisfying Sides
- Tender Whole Wheat Bread from What Smells So Good?
- Austin-Style Black Beans from The Texan New Yorker
- Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls w/Creamy Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce from Daily Dish Recipes
Sweet Treats
- Apple Blackberry Crisp from Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
- Brown Sugar Shortbread from Shockingly Delicious
- Rock Cakes from Happy Baking Days
- Incredible White Chocolate Brownies from The Perfect Brownie
- Rocky Road Brownies from Wallflour Girl
- Autumn Spice Truffles from Desserts Required
- Profiteroles with Caramel Drizzle from Food Lust People Love
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake Donuts from NinjaBaking.com
- Carrot Cake Sheet Cake from Pies and Plots
- Risalamande (Danish Christmas Eve Rice Pudding) from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Sips, Spreads, and Snacks
- Pumpkin Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Tex Mex Chicken Salad Spread from Momma’s Meals
- Budget Friendly Wines for Budget Friendly #SundaySupper from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.
To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
I love the speckles of vanilla bean in your frosting! That’s not only delicious but very, very pretty. Thanks for contributing such a great recipe to #SundaySupper!
I have a total weakness for vanilla beans. Thanks for visiting, Katie!
Kitchen serendipity in action – those cupcakes had to go wrong so that you could give us such a drop-dead gorgeous carrot cake! Your vanilla frosting tops it off spectacularly too!
That’s how I looked at it! Thanks, Katy!
You said carrot cake. I said YES!
Carrot cake ranks in my top 5 favorite desserts. I sure wish a slice of yours would appear in my kitchen…it looks amazing!
Thanks, Liz! I so wish I could have shared with you 🙂
Agreed that this was kitchen serendipity! And really, you can never go wrong with a thick moist layer of carrot cake sheet cake, so hakuna matata!
Totally made my day that you said hakuna matata 🙂 And now I have the song stuck in my head!
I love a fantastic sheet cake as they are so easy. You make it look divine with this great carrot cake recipe!!
Your carrot wonder does indeed look like a moist cake with bliss in every bite, Laura. Sorry about your mishap with the renowned baker. But do so appreciate this yummy carrot cake recipe you’ve shared =)
I love carrot cake! This looks wonderful and I love that you made a vanilla bean icing!
I have never made Carrot Cake…and your recipe makes me feel like I can! It may not be as pretty, but hopefully it tastes as good as your pictures look!
Oh, Tracy, you can definitely make this. It is so easy and you will love it. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
I love carrot cake, thanks for sharing your recipe!
A slice of this right now would be sooo heavenly!!
Yum – carrot cake is such a classic dessert! Good for you, I’ve always been a fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal and admired those of you who are much more organized. I guess both ways have their pitfalls though.
It’s funny – I wish I was more flexible. But the grass is always greener, as they say, I guess.
Oh, baking disasters… we’ve all been there. so not fun. Your carrot cake looks wonderful though! I love that it’s a sheet cake, those are so easy and occasionally just needed! Thanks for posting!
Yep – it wasn’t the first baking disaster and it won’t be the last.
I love “shopping” in my pantry—and you sure had on spectacular trip + haul. Case in point? This amazing carrot cake!
Carrot cakes are my favorite!
Carrot cake is a favorite of mine. I usually go for the cupcake variety when I bake but this looks too good to pass up!
Easier than frosting a bunch of cupcakes too!
Kitchen fails are the worst. They leave you feeling defeated and questioning your career choice. It’s always a good day when you can rectify the situation with a perfect cake. This here is gorgeous!
Thank you so much for the delicious carrot cake you sent over and I’m so sorry for being tardy in writing. It was amazing! It reminded me of my Aunt’s carrot cake which is my favorite. The cake is so moist and I love the cream cheese frosting. It is such a great dessert for the Fall and I will look forward to an occasion so I can make it soon!
I’m so glad you liked this, Mary! I appreciate that you left a comment too 🙂