Are you a carrot cake lover but always end up wasting leftovers? Fear not, because I have the solution for you! This mini carrot cake recipe is perfect for those who want a sweet treat without committing to a full-sized cake. These adorable little cakes are moist, fluffy, and packed with carrot-y goodness. Plus, they’re super easy to make! So, grab your apron, turn on your oven, and let’s get baking!
Looking for a fun and unique dessert to serve at your next gathering? Look no further than this mini carrot cake recipe! These adorable little cakes are perfect for sharing and are sure to be a hit with everyone. With their moist, fluffy texture and sweet, spicy flavor, they’re the perfect balance of indulgent and wholesome.
Don’t let their small size fool you, these mini carrot cakes are packed with flavor. Made with fresh carrots, warm spices, and a rich cream cheese frosting, they’re a treat that’s sure to satisfy. And the best part? They’re easy to make! With just a few simple ingredients and some basic baking know-how, you can whip up a batch of these tasty treats in no time. So, whether you’re looking for a sweet snack or a party dessert, mini carrot cakes are the way to go!
To make these Mini Carrot Cakes, you’ll need the following ingredients.
For the cake:
If you’d like, you can also add in chopped walnuts or raisins.
For the frosting:
These Mini Carrot Cakes are packed with flavor, and really easy to make! You’ll have a batch of yummy single serving cakes ready to enjoy in no time.
If you’ve seen any of my recipes on here, you know the first step is to mise en place AKA make sure you have everything ready to go. This is your time to gather, measure, and make any preparations to your ingredients. Make sure you have all the equipment you need to make your recipe. This will make your cooking process much smoother and less stressful. Preheat your oven.
TIP: Prep your cake pans! Spray them lightly with non-stick spray for easier removal. I am using these little square pans, but you can use cupcake pans or any other little pans that you have on hand.
Use a food processor or blender to process the chopped carrots until they’re a thick paste. If you do not have a food processor or blender, chop them as tiny as you can get them. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs together until completely combined. Stir in the blended carrots.
Sift the cake flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a separate bowl.
Fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredient mixture and mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
At this point, you can mix in the raisins or walnuts if you would like to.
Scoop the cake batter into the prepped pans, filling each about 2/3 the way full.
Gently tap out any air bubbles by tapping the cake pans on the counter a few times. Then bake for 25-30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean 🙂
Let sit in the pan to cool for 10-15 minutes before carefully removing to let cool the rest of the way.
Add the softened butter, shortening, vanilla extract, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix until smooth.
Mix in the powdered sugar a little at a time, very slowly, until it is all incorporated.
Add in the milk on low speed. Once the milk is incorporated, crank the speed up to medium high, and whip until the mixture becomes light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
Once your frosting is looking light and fluffy, it’s time to add the cream cheese. With the mixer still running on medium-high, add in your cream cheese a little bit at a time until fully incorporated. Whip for another minute or two.
Use your yummy cream cheese frosting to decorate your mini carrot cakes as you wish! Make sure the cakes have cooled completely before frosting them.
How long will the mini carrot cakes be good for?
These mini carrot cakes keep very well for up to 5 days. They stay soft and moist when kept in an airtight container. Since they has a cream cheese frosting, they should be kept in the refrigerator.
How should I decorate my mini carrot cakes?
The cream cheese frosting for this recipe is perfectly pipe-able so you can pipe beautiful designs on top if you want to! Other decorating ideas are to garnish with chopped walnuts, candied carrot pieces, or even cute sprinkles! I have used super fun carrot shaped sugar decorations in the past.
Yes! You can use gluten free 1:1 baking flour or even all-purpose flour if that’s what you have on hand. Using cake flour will yield a better texture cake, in my opinion – but swapping it out for regular all-purpose or a gluten free substitute is perfectly fine and you will still get a wonderfully delicious batch of cakes.
Make sure to store any leftover mini carrot cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cream cheese icing is the part that requires refrigeration, so if you would like to store the cake at room temperature you could hold off on putting on the frosting until you are ready to serve.
My name is Autumn! I’m a food lover living in Columbus, Ohio. No matter where my life has taken me, my passion for food has…
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