Easy Carrot Cake

ByJennifer Osterholt March 20, 2025March 20, 2025

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Using jars of baby food saves a lot of time and makes a moist Carrot Cake recipe that is irresistible when topped with a layer of cream cheese frosting.

Very moist and easy carrot cake in a sheet pan made with a twist of baby food carrots and coated with cream cheese frosting on a pastel napkin.

Why This Baby Food Carrot Cake Recipe Works

Moist and just like what you expect a carrot cake to taste like with much less effort than our Carrot Cake Loaf.
No shredding carrots and keeping produce fresh, the baby food stores well!
Flexible enough to make a sheet cake or a stacked layer cake for a fancier look.
Uses basic ingredients you have on hand plus baby food!
This carrot cake freezes very well and can easily be prepared ahead of the busy Easter holiday.

Fork cutting into a slice of moist carrot cake made with baby food.

If you enjoy this simple cake recipe you may also like our Frosted Banana Bars and Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake.

Ingredients Needed:

Baby Food Carrots – any brand is great as long as they are pureed.
Flour & Sugar
Eggs & Vegetable Oil
Baking Soda & Baking Powder – to help the cake rise
Salt, Cinnamon & Vanilla Extract – for flavoring
Cream Cheese Frosting – Powdered Sugar, Butter, Cream Cheese and Vanilla

Ingredients to make carrot cake are flour, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, eggs, baby food carrots, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda on a wooden counter top.

Step By Step Instructions

In a medium sized mixing bowl stir together baby food carrots and sugar.

Three jars of baby food carrots poured into a mixing bowl with sugar.

Baby food carrots mixed into a simple cake batter in a white mixing bowl.

In a seperate bowl use a fork to sift and stir tgether flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Slowly add to the carrot mixture and mix.

Flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a white mixing bowl.

Eggs, oil, and carrot baby food mixed into dry ingredients for a super easy carrot cake recipe in a white mixing bowl.

Then stir in eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.

Pour into a greased 10″ x 15″ jelly roll pan and bake for 25 to 28 minute in an oven preheated to 350℉.

Or make a layered cake using 3 round 9″ pans. Bake for 20 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean the cakes are done.

Beat together frosting ingredients and spread over the cake once completely cool. Enjoy!

Server lifting a piece of simple carrot cake out of a jelly roll pan sitting on a pink and purple plaid napkin.

Layered Cake or Sheet Cake

We tested this recipe to determine that it is easy to make in a 10 x 15″ jelly roll pan or in 3 – 9″ round cake pans.

If using round pans line the bottom with waxed paper and grease generously.

Also coat the cooling rack that you flip the cake onto with non-stick cooking spray for best results.

Lining round cake pans with waxed paper.

The frosting is perfect for a sheet cake. I prefer to make 1.5 to 2 times the amount of frosting to have a thicker separation between the layers and on top.

Stacked carrot cake on a white pedestal with chopped pecans around the edges of the cream cheese frosting on a pastel napkin.

Recipe Notes

The original recipe is from a community cookbook that calls for Gerber level 3 baby carrots. Some people may even have homemade baby carrots. The brands and levels of baby food has changed significantly since this recipe was first made and now any type of pureed carrots work fine.
Easy carrot cake recipe to cut in half and make a smaller cake if needed. In the recipe card there is a button next to ingredients – change to 0.5x to cut the recipe in half and bake in a square pan or two round 8″ pans.
These cakes freeze really well when wrapped tightly in a couple layers of plastic wrap and finished with a layer of heavy duty foil.

Square piece of carrot cake with a layer of cream cheese frosting sitting on a white plate with a fork and full sheet cake in the background.

More Delicious Recipes For Spring

Asian Asparagus is always popular in the springtime.

Farmhouse Lemon Bars – a classic treat worth making!

Chocolate Eclair Cake is light, creamy and enjoyable.

Categories:

Cakes, Recipes,

Jennifer Osterholt

I share how to make life easier while raising a busy family! From delicious desserts to easy dinners and simple breakfast recipes. I’m here to make your time in the kitchen more efficient while building confidence!