Quick & Easy Carrot Cake Skillet Cake with Simple Vanilla Glaze

Short on time but still want to create a show-stopping dessert that tastes homemade and comforting? This moist one-layer Carrot Cake Skillet Cake, topped with a luscious homemade vanilla glaze, is your perfect solution. It’s an incredibly quick and easy dessert, ideal for any occasion, especially when you need to impress without spending hours in the kitchen. Forget complex layering or elaborate frosting – this skillet cake delivers all the classic carrot cake flavor in a wonderfully simple package.

As the seasons change and holidays approach, our schedules often become jam-packed. It’s hard to believe how quickly time flies, isn’t it? Just last week we might have been celebrating one holiday, and now another major one is right around the corner. For many, Easter is one of those significant dates that sneaks up quickly. With the joyous celebrations and family gatherings, the last thing you want is a stressful baking project. This is precisely why having a reliable, delicious, and easy dessert recipe in your arsenal is a lifesaver. This year, my goal was to bring you a treat that embodies the spirit of spring and celebration, yet respects your precious time. And that’s exactly what this Carrot Cake Skillet Cake aims to do.

As a food blogger, I feel a constant pull to create new and exciting recipes, especially around holidays. However, the reality of a busy life often means that elaborate, multi-day projects aren’t feasible for everyone – myself included! Knowing that many of us are less than a week away from big gatherings, I knew whatever I shared had to be quick to prepare, using readily available ingredients, and absolutely delicious. This skillet cake recipe checks all those boxes, ensuring you can whip it up for Easter Sunday or any spring celebration without breaking a sweat.

Why Choose a Skillet Cake for Your Next Dessert?

Skillet cakes are a true game-changer in the world of easy desserts. They are inherently simple, offering a rustic charm that belies their effortless preparation. Here’s why they’re the ideal choice for a quick and impressive treat, especially for a big holiday dinner:

1. Uncomplicated Baking and Serving: One of the biggest advantages is the complete lack of fuss. You don’t need to worry about the delicate process of unmolding, stacking layers perfectly, or spending hours on intricate frosting designs. This one-layer cake is baked and served directly in the pan, drastically cutting down on preparation and cleanup time. In fact, you can have this entire cake, from mixing to serving, ready in about an hour.
2. Enjoy It Warm: Imagine a slice of moist, spiced carrot cake, warm from the oven, with a sweet vanilla glaze gently melting over it. Skillet cakes offer this unique experience because you can serve them immediately after baking. There’s no waiting for the cake to cool for an hour before decorating, which means instant gratification for you and your guests.
3. Manageable Portions: This recipe is perfectly portioned for 4-6 servings, making it ideal for smaller family dinners or intimate gatherings. You get to enjoy a homemade dessert without the burden of excessive leftovers that might go stale. It’s just enough for everyone to have a satisfying slice, possibly with a little extra for later!
4. Flexible Preparation for Busy Schedules: While delicious when served warm, this skillet cake is also incredibly versatile. If you can’t make it the same day, you can absolutely bake it the day before. Simply allow it to cool completely, cover it, and store at room temperature. A quick re-warm in a low oven before serving can bring back that fresh-from-the-oven appeal, or you can enjoy it perfectly at room temperature.
5. Rustic and Inviting Presentation: There’s something undeniably charming about a cake served directly in a cast iron skillet. It creates a warm, homemade aesthetic that feels both special and unpretentious, enhancing your dessert table with minimal effort.

I recently invested in a new cast iron pan, and so far, it’s been exclusively dedicated to baking cakes (though I promise myself I’ll make a savory dish in it one of these days!). Last week, I experimented with a chocolate skillet cake, and this week, it’s all about embracing the classic flavors of spring with this delightful Carrot Cake Skillet Cake. Carrot cake always comes to mind for Easter – perhaps it’s the association with bunnies and their favorite vegetable, leading to the Easter bunny bringing carrot cake treats. It’s a natural fit for spring celebrations!

Sourcing Your Ingredients: Quality and Affordability with ALDI

Crafting a delicious cake doesn’t have to break the bank. For this particular carrot cake skillet cake, I sourced all my ingredients from ALDI. ALDI has been my go-to grocery store for over a decade, proving invaluable for affordable groceries during my college years and continuing into adulthood. What I love most about ALDI is their commitment to providing high-quality products at incredibly low prices.

Beyond just savings, ALDI makes grocery shopping efficient. I can usually find almost everything I need for a recipe in one trip, from pantry staples like flour, sugar, and spices, to fresh produce like carrots, and even unique items. I was even pleasantly surprised to find chorizo there recently – an item I never would have expected them to carry, showcasing their expanding product range! If you’ve never shopped at ALDI before, you might be curious about their unique operational model that allows them to offer such great value. You can learn more about their efficiency and how they maintain low prices on my no-bake mint chocolate chip pie recipe. For insight into their rigorous product testing and commitment to quality, check out my hot chocolate fudge recipe, where I discuss how their Test Kitchen ensures consistent excellence.

ALDI also continually evolves to meet consumer demands and dietary preferences. They recently announced that all their exclusive products are now free of certified synthetic colors, partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), and added MSG. This commitment to cleaner ingredients means you can feel even better about the food you’re serving your family and friends. And for added convenience, I’m thrilled that they now accept credit cards – a welcome change for those of us who sometimes get a little carried away at the checkout and need more flexibility than cash can provide!

The Perfect Topping: Simple Vanilla Glaze

While a classic cream cheese frosting is undeniably delicious with carrot cake, for this quick skillet version, I opted for an even easier and faster solution: a simple homemade vanilla glaze. This choice streamlines the process considerably, requiring fewer ingredients and taking literally just two minutes to whisk together. It’s the ideal topping when you want maximum flavor with minimal effort and time investment.

The vanilla glaze beautifully complements the rich, spiced flavors of the carrot cake without overpowering it. It adds a lovely touch of sweetness, a subtle vanilla aroma, and a delicate sheen, making the cake look as appealing as it tastes. Plus, its quick-setting nature means you can prepare and spread the glaze over the still-warm cake almost immediately after it comes out of the oven. This allows the glaze to slightly melt and seep into the warm cake, creating an even more irresistible experience and ensuring the cake is ready to serve without a long wait.

Customizing Your Carrot Cake Skillet Cake: Add-ins and Variations

Carrot cake is wonderfully versatile, with many variations in its ingredients. I’ve been making it for years, and I’ve found that the best recipes strike a perfect balance of moisture, warm spices, and delightful textures from various add-ins. This particular recipe includes a delicious combination of crushed pineapple, coconut flakes, chopped walnuts, and raisins. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in creating a rich and complex flavor profile:

• Crushed Pineapple: This is a secret weapon for moisture and flavor. It adds incredible juiciness and a subtle tang that brightens the cake’s overall taste. Remember to drain the liquid thoroughly to ensure the correct batter consistency.
• Coconut Flakes: These contribute a delicate chewiness and a lovely tropical aroma. Toasted coconut can also add another layer of flavor and texture if you’re feeling ambitious.
• Chopped Walnuts: Providing a satisfying crunch and a rich, earthy, nutty depth, walnuts enhance the overall texture and add a classic carrot cake element.
• Raisins: These offer bursts of natural sweetness and a soft, chewy texture, distributed throughout the cake for delightful surprises in every bite.

Feel free to adjust these ingredients to suit your personal taste or what you have on hand. Not a fan of raisins? Omit them entirely! Prefer pecans over walnuts for their slightly different flavor? Make the swap! You could even add a hint of orange zest for an extra bright, citrusy note that complements the carrot, or a touch of ground ginger for a bit more warmth and spice. Chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or a mix of nuts are also fantastic additions. The beauty of this recipe is its adaptability, allowing you to create your perfect, personalized carrot cake experience every time.

Looking for More Carrot Cake Inspiration?

If you’re a devoted carrot cake enthusiast and want to explore other formats or scale your baking, I have a few more recipes you might enjoy:

• My small carrot cake is perfect when you need a classic, elegant layer cake in a more manageable, smaller batch for fewer servings.
• For individual portions that are great for parties or lunchboxes, try my Carrot Cake Cupcakes with pineapple, also a delightful option for sharing without the need for slicing.

Item You May Need (affiliate link):

Carrot Cake Skillet Cake

Yield:
4-6 servings

Prep Time:
30 minutes

Cook Time:
30 minutes

Total Time:
1 hour

Moist one layer Carrot Cake Skillet Cake with a homemade vanilla glaze makes a quick and easy dessert for when you’re short on time but still need to impress.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1/4 cup canned crushed pineapple, liquid drained
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup raisins

Glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Have an 8-inch cast iron pan or an 8-inch round cake pan ready.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together on medium speed the sugar, brown sugar, oil, milk, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour mixture on low speed then add in the carrots, pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and raisins (do not overbeat the batter or you may end up with a tough cake).
4. Transfer the batter to the cast iron pan or cake pan and bake 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. For the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Spread over the still-warm cake. Let glaze harden before serving. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

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Source: Adapted from my Carrot Cake Layer Cake

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by ALDI. Products available while quantities last. All products may not be available in all stores. Prices subject to change. Thank you for supporting me and the companies I work with as sponsored posts help pay for the costs of running Chocolate Moosey, including website hosting and groceries for recipe development.