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Delicious and Moist Lighter Carrot Cake Sheet Cake with a Light Cream Cheese Frosting

While Carrot Cake sounds healthy, it's still a dessert. It can pack on some calories, but hey, it's a delicious and moist cake! This recipe cuts way back on fat grams and calories, by reducing the amount of eggs and oil. I was dubious, but once I finished baking the cake and frosting it-- I was smitten. The cake was moist, indeed, and it satisfied both my sweet tooth and bathroom scale.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Lighter Carrot Cake Sheet Cake with a Light Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cake Cooling Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings 16
Author Debby - www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • Vegetable cooking spray I prefer Bakers Joy Baking Spray
  • 2 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour 12 1/2 ounces
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup light brown sugar 7 ounces
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 7 ounces
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 pound carrots about 6 medium, peeled and grated (about 3 cups)
  • ½ cup golden raisins optional

For the frosting (optional):

  • 12 ounces Neufchatel 1/3 less fat cream cheese softened, but still cool
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with vegetable oil spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
    NOTE: I decided to frost the cake in the pan so parchment paper isn't needed.
  • Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
    Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugars together in a medium bowl until they turn thick and creamy, 1 to 3 minutes.
    Turn the mixer to low and slowly whip in the oil until thoroughly combined and emulsified, 30 to 60 seconds.
  • Sift half the flour mixture over the batter and gently mix in.
    Repeat once more with the remaining flour mixture and continue to whisk the batter gently until most of the lumps are gone (do not overmix).
    Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the carrots and raisins (if using).
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top.
    Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking (do not overbake).
    Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack and remove the parchment paper. Flip the cake right-side up, and cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours, before frosting (if desired) and serving.
    NOTE: I frosted the cake in the pan.

For the frosting:

  • Be sure to mix the frosting by hand—an electric mixer or food processor will turn the frosting soupy.
  • Mix the cream cheese and vanilla together in a large bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the confectioners’ sugar and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth.
    Refrigerate for an hour, then frost the cake.

Notes

You can either use the large holes of a box grater or the large holed shredding disk in a food processor for grating the carrots. Use a metal cake pan, not a glass or Pyrex pan, for best results.
Recipe source: America's Test Kitchen
Makeover calories: Before 370 After 250
Fat: Before 22g  After   8g
Sat. Fat: Before 2.5g  After 1g