Mini Carrot Cakes

Mini Carrot Cakes with silky smooth cream cheese frosting are the perfect size for one person and have a moist, melt-in-your-mouth texture and cute piped carrot decoration. They're one of my favorite desserts!

I first shared this recipe back in 2021 as a mini bundt cake. Since then, I've updated the recipe to actual mini cakes, although you can still use mini bundt pans if you like! I have also added new photos and more baking tips, plus several flavor and ingredient substitution options based on your questions. Let's get baking...

Best Mini Carrot Cakes Recipe

This is a super simple yet super delicious recipe for mini carrot cakes that will impress anyone! The sponge is tender, moist, and loaded with juicy carrots, and my signature cream cheese frosting is rich and tangy with the perfect amount of sweetness. Mini desserts are perfect for a dessert table, as they look cute and dainty, and no one has to share.

Some recipes call for a boxed cake mix to keep it simple. But all of my recipes on Spatula Desserts are from scratch, tested in my own kitchen, and get you pro-level results. I give you all my tips and tricks, and make things simple so that even novice bakers can make the most amazing little carrot cakes!

Katalin's Take On How to Make Carrot Cake EXTRA Moist

This is not your average boring, dry carrot cake! I never compromise on taste and texture, and with carrot cake, it is all about that super moist sponge. Adding real shredded carrots to the batter helps with this, but I also use an oil-based carrot mini-cake recipe with no butter. Butter-based cakes tend to harden in the fridge, but we won’t have this issue with oil.

Sugar also contributes to moistness, and I use a combination of granulated white and brown sugar. You will love the brown sugar's deep molasses flavor, so don't leave it out! If you want to learn about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my sugar guide.

Of course, it's not just about the batter. One of the most important things when baking moist carrot cake is not to overbake it. Overbaking, or baking in an oven that is too hot, will result in a dry cake. So make sure you read all my tips below to get it right every time!

Start with a carrot sheet cake

Preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F and line a 28x40 cm (11x16 inch) sheet pan with parchment paper. Alternatively, grease it with butter or oil.

Whip the wet ingredients (room-temperature eggs, oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar) together with an electric mixer or hand whisk until smooth and well combined. This will only take 1-2 minutes.

Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt) together and then fold them into the wet mixture using a rubber spatula. Don't use the electric whisk at this stage. Finally, fold in the shredded carrots.

Pour the carrot cake batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 minutes at 175°C/350°F. Avoid overbaking! The carrot cake is ready when an inserted toothpick comes out clean with no wet batter sticking to it.

Let the carrot sheet cake cool completely to room temperature. Do not cut it or attempt to frost it while it is still hot.

My Signature Silky Cream Cheese Frosting

Sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps, then place it into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the cold mascarpone, cold cream cheese, and vanilla extract. Whip the mixture together for a few minutes until it is creamy and fluffy. Be careful not to overwhip, as it can break and go runny.

Transfer the cream cheese frosting into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip, reserving a small amount to make the carrot decorations if you want to.

Now, the Fun Part! Assemble & Make the Carrot Decoration

Use a small cookie cutter to cut 14 circles from the carrot sheet cake. I use one with an 8cm (3 inch) diameter, which is the perfect size for mini carrot cakes.

Pipe a layer of frosting onto one cut-out piece of cake, then place another on top. Pipe more cream cheese frosting on top.

Split the remaining cream cheese frosting in half to make the carrot decoration.

Use a good-quality gel coloring to color one portion of the cream cheese frosting green and the other orange. Transfer the colored frostings into two separate piping bags fitted with small round nozzles and pipe carrot shapes on top of the mini carrot cakes.

Serve the mini carrot cakes with cream cheese frosting, and enjoy!

This is How To Store Leftovers

Carrot mini cakes are best served fresh, but if you do have any leftovers, store them covered in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

You can make the plain carrot cake ahead of time and freeze it, too. Either freeze the whole sheet cake and then cut it once defrosted, or cut out the shapes and then freeze. Wrap securely in plastic food wrap to keep it moist and protected from freezer burn. Frost it once completely defrosted. Do not freeze the frosting; it can separate.

Try Different Flavor Variations

Try adding some orange zest and finely diced dried fruit to the cake batter to make a more festive version of this mini carrot cake recipe. You could also add some chopped walnuts or pecans to give added crunch.

During the Fall, I like to use my homemade pumpkin spice recipe to add even more warm and spicy flavor.

You could also add some candied carrot slices to the top of the mini cakes! Boil thin slices of carrot in a simple syrup for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a baking sheet and dry them in the oven at 100°C/210°F for 30 minutes.

Baking With Dietary Restrictions? Check These helpful substitute guides

Baking is a science, so making substitutions will affect the outcome and often requires a recipe reformulation.

You could use just white sugar instead of a mixture, but you won't get that hint of molasses flavor that tastes so good! You can also try one of these egg substitutes.

If you are baking around other dietary restrictions or preferences, check out my baking guides first to make the best swaps and check your conversions.

Expert Tips For Making Mini Carrot Cakes

1. All of the cake ingredients need to be at room temperature before you allow them to emulsify correctly. And don't skip the salt! It is essential to bring out the flavor and balance sweetness.
2. Use a neutral oil, like vegetable oil, rather than olive oil or coconut oil, which will impart flavor to the sponge.
3. The cream cheese frosting recipe ingredients must be very cold, so keep them in the fridge until the last minute! Ensure you use good quality, high-fat cream cheese (like Philadelphia) and mascarpone. Low-fat dairy products contain more water and, therefore, it is more difficult - if not impossible - to whip them up.
4. Don't use cheap food coloring; I recommend Americolor gel coloring or other good brands for the best results. It is a concentrated food coloring, meaning it won´t alter the texture of the frosting.
5. You can use the leftover cake crumbs as decoration! Crumble them on top of the cream cheese frosting to add even more color and visual interest. They also taste amazing crumbled on top of vanilla ice cream.
6. Feel free to turn this recipe into a larger carrot cake or make the batter in a muffin pan / mini bundt pan.

Equipment List I Recommend

First and foremost, always weigh ingredients by the gram using a digital scale. Baking is a science and requires precision!

Use an electric hand mixer to combine the wet ingredients, and then switch to a rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients and avoid overmixing this cake batter.

All ovens vary, and it is really important to bake at the correct temperature to make the best moist mini carrot cake! A digital oven thermometer will let you monitor the temperature and adjust accordingly if needed. 

Decorate your mini carrot cakes like a pro using a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping nozzle tip.

Try Some Of My Other Cake Recipes

If you love baking cakes, here are some other reader favorites you can try next:

• Lemon sheet cake
• Strawberry poke cake
• Blueberry ricotta cake
• Peanut butter cake
• Almond strawberry cake

And don't forget to check out my round-up of the best cake frostings should you want to try a different frosting on your cake!

Have you tried this recipe?

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