This easy, delicious, moist carrot cake tray bake is gently spiced and flavored with walnuts and grated carrots, and topped with delicious cream cheese icing!
I make a mean carrot cake...but decided that Salty Ginger also needed the perfect carrot cake tray bake or carrot cake sheet cake. This cake is baked in a 9"x13" and is absolutely perfect for a crowd.
However, when I tried to turn my best-ever carrot cake into a tray bake, it didn't quite translate to what I wanted, so I tweaked the recipe a bit, and landed up with another delicious carrot cake!
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Why You Will Love this Carrot Cake Tray Bake
- This carrot cake and cream cheese icing is super easy to make!
- This carrot cake tray bake is perfect for larger get-togethers.
- The moist, delicious carrot cake is topped with an oh-so-tasty cream cheese icing.
- The tang of the cream cheese pairs well with the carrot cake base.
- This carrot cake is made with butter and oil which means it has the richness of the butter and the moistness of the oil.
Ingredients
Here are some notes on the ingredients used in this recipe. Please see the recipe card for quantities.
Eggs bind and give a lift to this cake batter.
Sugar - a mix of brown and white to add sweetness and a hint of caramelized flavors to the cake
Chopped walnuts or pecan nuts. The nuts can be left out of the cake if you want to. This will result in a slightly sweeter cake though.
Flour - all-purpose, plain, or standard-grade flour.
Grated carrots give this cake a great carrot flavor.
Vegetable oil (something neutral with little to no flavor) and butter add moisture and richness to the cake.
The ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and mixed spice (or pumpkin spice mix) add a nice spiced flavor to the cake which compliments the carrots, walnuts, and brown sugar
Cream cheese (a block of cream cheese is best) and butter for the frosting.
Icing sugar - powdered sugar or confectioners sugar for the cream cheese icing.
Lemon juice (I use reconstituted lemon juice that I keep in the fridge).
Test the freshness of your baking powder or baking soda (bicarbonate of soda or bread soda) by placing a small amount in boiling water. If it bubbles and fizzes, it's good to use!
Salt is a crucial ingredient in all baked goods. I use table salt in all my recipes. One teaspoon of table salt equals 1.5 teaspoons of Morton Kosher Salt equals 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal.
Room Temperature Ingredients
Use room-temperature ingredients! Using room temperature ingredients ensures that ingredients in the batter or dough will incorporate easier. Take note that room temperature refers to around 20Ā°C/68F.
- To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, place them into warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- To bring butter to room temperature quickly, cut the butter into cubes and zap in the microwave at 20% power in 10-second intervals. Or place the cubes in a bowl over warm water (such as with a double boiler) over low heat for 1 minute!
- Milk, buttermilk, and cream can be brought to room temperature by zapping in the microwave at 20% power in 10-second intervals. Or on low heat for a minute or two swirling every 10-15 seconds.
Weighing & Measuring Ingredients
Weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale is more accurate than using measuring cups. All my recipes are developed and tested using grams only.
However, I have activated the metric-to-cup conversions. Simply click on "cups" or "metric" for your preferred measurements. For these conversions, cups are equal to 240 millilitres/8 fluid ounces, tablespoons are 15 milliliters and teaspoons are 5mL.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 170Ā°C/340F. Peel and grate the carrots, and set aside. Finely chop the walnuts and set them aside. Grease and line a 9"x13" baking tin.
Step 2 - In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, mixed spice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Toss in the walnuts and mix through.
Step 3 - Either using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture has lightened and has doubled in size. This takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 4 - With the mixer running, slowly pour in the oil and melted butter, allowing it to emulsify. Then add in the vanilla and mix through for about 20 seconds.
Step 5 - Fold the grated carrots through the wet ingredients. If using a stand mixer, swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment.
Step 6 - Add in the dry ingredients and mix gently until combined.
Step 7 - Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The cake is done when a cake tester comes out clean.
Step 8 - Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, before turning it out onto a wired cooling rack.
Step 9 - Cream together the cream cheese frosting and butter together at a medium to high speed until both are well combined, soft and fluffy.
NOTE - Room temperature cream cheese and butter are essential for a smooth and creamy cream cheese frosting! During the cooler months, I also like to allow my bowls and mixer to warm up in sunny places.
Step 10 - Add the icing sugar to the cream cheese mixture and mix at a low speed. Then add in the lemon juice and mix through.
Step 11 - Load the cake with the cream cheese frosting and spread it out evenly. Top off with chopped walnuts for decoration. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
NOTE - the cake must be 100% cooled before adding the frosting or it will melt into the cake...but if that's your kinda thing then go ahead!
Expert Tips for this Recipe
Room-temperature ingredients are a must for both the cake and the cream cheese frosting.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Ovens and Air-Fryers
The temperatures stated are for conventional ovens. For convection, fan-forced, fan-assisted, or air-fryers, the temperature must be reduced by 20Ā°C/25Ā°F.
For baking, make sure the oven is fully preheated, and that the rack is in the middle of the oven. Open the oven as little as possible. For best baking results use an oven thermometer.
Remember that all ovens work slightly differently and bake times may need to be adjusted for your specific oven.
Bakeware
Metal bakeware is superior when it comes to baking biscuits, cookies, brownies, muffins and quick bread, scones, cakes. These heat up and cool down faster than glassware. Glassware is heavier, heats up and cools down slower than metal, and is more suited for bread puddings, pies, crisps, crumbles, and cobblers.
Baking Flat Cakes
To ensure you get layers or a sheet cake as flat as possible, check the following:
- The oven temperature. An oven that is too hot will result in domed cakes. Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is at the right temperature.
- Grease the sides of the cake tin. This allows the batter to rise the sides without gripping the sides.
- Use baking strips! Use damp cake pan baking strips to keep the sides of the cake tin cooler during the baking. This allows the side to rise at a similar rate to the center of the cake. Alternatively (the method I use) is to fold a piece of foil 4-to 5 times to create a strip (shiny side out) and wrap it around the outside of the tin. This is especially important for darker cake tins.
- Trimming the cakes is the last step in making flat layers. This can be done with a large serrated knife or wired cake leveler.
NOTE - the cake tins I used to bake this cake are rather dark, so I did wrap the tin in foil so that I would have a fairly even cake. I similarly wrap my rectangular cake tin for tray bakes to ensure a nice even bake.
Storage and Freezing
Carrot cakes are typically stored in the fridge for up to a week. This keeps the cream cheese frosting or icing from melting in warmer temperatures.
Carrot cake layers can be frozen and unfrosted, simply allow the cakes to cool completely before wrapping them in plastic wrap and then foil.
If freezing an entire frosted or iced carrot cake, allow it to freeze solid before wrapping it in plastic wrap and tin foil. Individual portions can also be frozen in this manner, just slice the cake before freezing!
To thaw the cake, let it sit at room temperature for several hours or overnight. Remember to remove the foil and plastic wrap before thawing a frosted cake!
Carrot Cake Tray Bake FAQ
Carrot cakes are typically stored in the fridge for up to a week. This keeps the cream cheese frosting or icing from melting in warmer temperatures.
Carrot cakes are rich moist spiced cakes usually topped with tangy cream cheese frosting or icing.
Yes. If freezing an entire frosted or iced carrot cake, allow it to freeze solid before wrapping it in plastic wrap and tin foil. Individual portions can also be frozen in this manner, just slice the cake before freezing!
Usually, pecans or walnuts are found in a carrot cake. Pecan nuts usually have a slightly sweeter taste than walnuts.
The origin of the carrot cake is often disputed and may come from England, France, or Switzerland.
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š Recipe
Carrot Cake Tray Bake
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 375 grams carrots (grated)
- 75 grams walnuts pecans
- 330 grams plain flour (plain, all-purpose, standard grade)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Ā¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- Ā¾ teaspoon mixed spice (pumpkin spice mix)
- Ā¾ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb/bread soda)
- 4 eggs (medium/large/size 6)
- 110 grams light brown sugar
- 100 grams white granulated sugar (caster/granulated)
- 113 grams vegetable oil
- 113 grams butter (melted)
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream cheese frosting
- 170 grams cream cheese
- 113 grams butter
- 375 grams icing sugar (powdered/confectioner's)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 40 grams chopped walnuts (or pecans)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170Ā°C/340F. Peel and grate the carrots, and set aside. Finely chop the walnuts and set them aside. Grease and line a 9"x13" baking tin.375 grams carrots, 75 grams walnuts
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, mixed spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Toss in the walnuts and mix through.330 grams plain flour, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, Ā¾ teaspoon ground ginger, Ā¾ teaspoon mixed spice, Ā¾ teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Either using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture has lightened and has doubled in size. This takes about 3 to 5 minutes.4 eggs, 110 grams light brown sugar, 100 grams white granulated sugar
- With the mixer running, slowly pour in the oil and melted butter, allowing it to emulsify. Then add in the vanilla and mix through for about 20 seconds.113 grams vegetable oil, 113 grams butter, 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Fold the grated carrots through the wet ingredients. If using a stand mixer, swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix gently until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The cake is done when a cake tester comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, before turning it out onto a wired cooling rack.
- Cream together the cream cheese frosting and butter together at a medium to high speed until both are well combined, soft and fluffy.170 grams cream cheese, 113 grams butter
- Add the icing sugar to the cream cheese mixture and mix together at a low speed. Then add in the lemon juice and mix through.375 grams icing sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Load the cake with the cream cheese frosting and spread it out evenly. Top off with chopped walnuts for decoration. Slice, serve and enjoy!40 grams chopped walnuts
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate. If scaling the recipe remember to scale your cook and bakeware accordingly. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs,I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Marilyn says
Delicious & moist! Love the cream cheese frosting š
Mary-Lou says
Thank you so much!
AJ says
Hello,
What type of flour, plain or self raising?
Mary-Lou says
Hi,
Plain flour is used.