Carrot Sheet Cake

  Carrot cake is a favorite among my taste testers. However, I do not like to make layer cakes unless I really want to go all out. Getting old I guess - I used to make layer cakes, now I feel that they are too much work. This recipe for Carrot Sheet Cake looked like it might work without as much work as a layer cake. 

  I don’t know that I would call it a sheet cake. It is baked in a 13 x 9 inch pan. It is, however, not real thick, more of a snack cake texture. I doubled the frosting amount thinking that it did not look like enough. If you like cream cheese frosting, that works well, however, the next time I think I would try it with just powdered sugar lightly shifted over the top. Either way, it was quite good. Try grating your carrots in your food processor instead of by hand. Much faster and easier on your knuckles. This is a recipe I will make again. 

  Carrot Sheet Cake

PREP: 22 minutes      COOK: 35 minutes

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup sugar

1 ¼ cups grated carrot

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese softened

¼ cup butter softened

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups powdered sugar

  Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine carrot and next 4 ingredients, mixing well; add to dry ingredients and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes.  

  Pour batter into a greased and floured 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire racl.

  Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed until creamy; add ½ teaspoon vanilla and powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Spread on top of cooled cake. Store in refrigerator.

    BANANA SHEET CAKE: Substitute1 ¼ cups mashed banana for carrot, and reducing vegetable oil to ½ cup