Craving carrot cake but don’t want to bake for a crowd? This mini carrot cake delivers the same moist, tender crumb, warm orange hue, and sweet flavor of a classic carrot cake—just in a perfect smaller size. It’s simple to make and tastes homemade-good.
What makes this mini carrot cake so good?
- Perfect single-batch serving size
- Super moist and tender crumb
- Quick and easy to prepare
- Bright, fresh carrot flavor in every bite
- Light, tangy cream cheese frosting
Grating the carrots
For best texture, use the fine side of a box grater. Finely grated carrots release moisture into the batter and soften completely during baking so you get a uniformly tender cake. Larger shreds tend to stay a bit firmer and can leave the cake drier because they don’t release as much liquid.
How to make mini carrot cake
1. Whisk the dry ingredients.
2. Whisk the wet ingredients.
3. Fold the grated carrots into the wet mix, then gently combine with the dry ingredients. That’s your batter.
4. Pour into a prepared pan and bake.
5. Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan 5–10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
6. Beat butter and cream cheese for the frosting.
7. Add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla; beat until smooth.
8. (Optional) Divide a small amount of frosting and color with orange and green gel to pipe carrot decorations.
9. Decorate. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and pipe carrots if desired.
Tips
- Carrots: Use fresh carrots—pre-shredded carrots are often too dry and frozen carrots can release excess water that thins the batter.
- Flour: Measure flour by weight or spoon into the cup and level it. Scooping directly from the bag can pack in extra flour and dry out the cake.
- Mixing: Combine wet and dry ingredients until just incorporated. Overmixing develops gluten and knocks out air, resulting in a dense, dry cake.
- Add-ins: Optional mix-ins like chopped walnuts, pistachios, or raisins work well. Fold them into the wet ingredients before adding the flour. You can also add spices to the dry mix to taste.
Storage
Because the cake is frosted with cream cheese frosting, store it in the refrigerator. Chill the cake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the frosting firms, then cover tightly. The cake will keep 4–5 days refrigerated.
If you prefer serving at room temperature, remove the cake from the fridge and let it sit for 30 minutes to soften slightly before slicing.
Check out these other recipes!
• Small Batch Cheesecake
• Small Batch Brownies
• Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and review—I love hearing your feedback! Tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see your creations.
Mini Carrot Cake Recipe
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
No reviews
- Author: Mimi
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 1 (8×8 inch) cake
Description
Craving carrot cake but not enough to feed a crowd? This mini carrot cake packs the same moist, tender texture and sweet flavor of classic carrot cake in a smaller pan. Easy to make and delicious every time.
Ingredients
For the carrot cake:
- 1 & ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar, light or dark
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (120mL) vegetable or neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 & ¾ cups (175g) finely grated carrots (about 1 large or 2 medium carrots)
For the cream cheese frosting:
- ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 ounces (85g) block cream cheese, softened
- 2 & ½ cups (325g) powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Green and orange gel food coloring (optional for decorations)
- Chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
Make the carrot cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8-inch pan and line with parchment. Set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, whisk sugars, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir in the grated carrots.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined—do not overmix.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan 5 minutes, invert onto a wire rack, and cool completely before frosting.
Make the cream cheese frosting:
- Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. Thin with 1–2 tablespoons milk if too thick, or add up to ½ cup more powdered sugar if too soft.
- (Optional) Tint a teaspoon of frosting green and a couple teaspoons orange for carrot shapes. Pipe with small bags or piping tips.
- Spread plain frosting over the cooled cake, pipe carrots if desired, and sprinkle chopped walnuts. Keep refrigerated until serving.
Equipment
8×8″ baking pan
Notes
If you don’t have vegetable oil, neutral oils like canola, corn, or peanut work well. Olive oil can add too much flavor. If you want some buttery taste without drying the cake, use ¼ cup melted butter plus ¼ cup oil.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Bake Time: 30 minutes
Enjoy!