Perfectly spiced Mini Carrot Cake with a heavenly cream cheese frosting! This adorable 2-layer 6-inch carrot cake is insanely moist, dangerously delicious and extremely easy to make!
I ADORE this carrot cake and I know you will too! It’s SO soft and moist and perfectly spiced with Vietnamese cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg. It pairs nicely with a classic cream cheese frosting that's so creamy.
Mini Carrot Cake Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- All Purpose Flour - Use a good quality flour such as King Arthur.
- Baking Soda - Leavener that is essential in helping the cake rise and makes it tender.
- Spices - We'll be using a combination cinnamon, ginger, all-spice, clove and nutmeg.
- Salt - Rounds out the sweetness.
- Oil – Use any neutral oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, light olive oil or walnut oil.
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Eggs – Adds structure and richness. Be sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
- Greek Yogurt – Adds moisture and structure. I like to use full fat plain Greek yogurt, but you can use low fat if that’s all you have. Alternatively, you can use full fat sour cream as well.
- Vanilla - You can use vanilla paste or extract.
- Shredded Carrots – Finely grate the carrots yourself. Do not use the packaged pre-shredded carrots. They are much too big.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese - Use a block of cream cheese, not whipped cream cheese.
- Unsalted Butter - You'll want to make sure your butter is at room temp
- Powdered Sugar - Aka, confectioners' sugar or icing sugar.
- Vanilla - You can use vanilla paste or extract.
- Salt - Helps cut down the sweetness.
Mini Carrot Cake Instructions
Carrot Cake
Step 1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF (176ºC). Next, grease and line 2 6-inch (15 cm) cake pans with parchment paper.
Step 2. With a box grater, carefully grate your washed/peeled carrots and set aside.
Step 3. In a clean medium sized bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and spiced and set aside.
Step 4. Whisk together white sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla until combined. Next, whisk in your eggs, followed by your Greek yogurt. Remember to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Step 5. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just until the flour streaks disappear. Then, gently fold in your shredded carrots. Do not overmix.
Step 6. Evenly transfer the batter to your prepare pans. I like to use a kitchen scale to ensure that they as even as possible. Bake between 30 to 35 minutes. Cakes are ready when an inserted toothpick comes out clean or the cake has pulled away from the sides of the pan. Place pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Step 1. In a large bowl, whisk together room temperature cream cheese and unsalted butter until fluffy.
Step 2. Add powdered sugar (starting with 3 ½ Cups), vanilla and salt and mix on low for 1 minute and then switch to medium high speed for an additional 2 minutes. If you would like the frosting to be a bit thicker, add more powdered sugar.
Step 3. Frost and assemble your cake. Make sure your cakes are completely cooled before frosting. I used a large ice cream scoop to measure 2 scoops of frosting for the layer in between. I then applied a crumb coat and finished with a light final coat. You can also decorate with buttercream flowers if you'd like. Serve right away or refrigerate until needed. Enjoy!
What is a crumb coat?
A crumb coat is essentially a very thin layer of frosting that is applied to the cake to traps all the crumbs, making it easier to add a final coat. Method: After applying a thin layer of frosting to your cake, place it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to set. Then finish frosting and decorating your cake.
Tips For Success!
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. It’s the best and most accurate way to bake. You can use King Arthur's Weight Chart to help with the conversions.
- If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature – This includes the eggs and Greek yogurt. To quickly bring eggs to room temp, submerge them in a bowl of hot tap water for 15 minutes. To quickly bring your yogurt to temp, microwave in 10 second intervals.
- Do not overmix your batter – Be careful not to overmix. Overworking the batter can result in a dry and crumbly cake.
- Do not overbake – Overbaking will dry out your cake. It will take between 30 to 35 minutes to bake. Mine took 32 minutes. You’ll know when it’s done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with clean.
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📖 Recipe
Mini Carrot Cake
- Total Time: 1 Hr + 20 Mins
- Yield: 6 Servings
Description
Perfectly spiced Mini Carrot Cake with a heavenly cream cheese frosting! This adorable 2-layer 6-inch carrot cake is insanely moist, dangerously delicious and extremely easy to make!
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 1 ⅔ Cups (200g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ Tsp Baking Soda
- ½ Tsp Salt
- 2 Tsp Cinnamon
- ¾ Tsp Ginger
- ¼ Tsp Allspice
- ¼ Tsp Cloves
- ¼ Tsp Nutmeg
- ½ Cup (100g) White Sugar
- ½ Cup (100g) Light or Dark Brown Sugar
- ¾ Cup (150g) Neutral Oil
- 2 Large Eggs, room temp
- ⅓ Cup (76g) Greek Yogurt, room temp
- 2 Tsp Vanilla Paste or Extract
- 2 Cups (200g) Finely Shredded Carrots (about 3 carrots)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 Oz (227g) Block of Cream Cheese, room temp
- ½ Cup (113g | 1 Stick) Unsalted Butter, room temp
- 3 ½ to 4 Cups (340g to 454g) Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Paste or Extract
- ½ Tsp Salt
Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF (176ºC). Next, grease and line 2 6-inch (15 cm) cake pans with parchment paper.
- With a box grater, carefully grate your washed/peeled carrots and set aside.
- In a clean medium sized bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and spiced and set aside.
- Whisk together white sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla until combined. Next, whisk in your eggs, followed by your Greek yogurt. Remember to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just until the flour streaks disappear. Then, gently fold in your shredded carrots. Do not overmix.
- Evenly transfer the batter to your prepare pans. I like to use a kitchen scale to ensure that they as even as possible. Bake between 30 to 35 minutes. Cakes are ready when an inserted toothpick comes out clean or the cake has pulled away from the sides of the pan. Place pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
-
In a large bowl, whisk together room temperature cream cheese and unsalted butter until fluffy.
-
Add powdered sugar (starting with 3 ½ Cups), vanilla and salt and mix on low for 1 minute and then switch to medium high speed for an additional 2 minutes. If you would like the frosting to be a bit thicker, add more powdered sugar.
-
Frost and assemble your cake. Make sure your cakes are completely cooled before frosting. I used a large ice cream scoop to measure 2 scoops of frosting for the layer in between. I then applied a crumb coat (see note below) and finish with light final coat. You can also decorate with buttercream flowers if you'd like. Serve right away or refrigerate until needed. Enjoy!
Notes
- A crumb coat is essentially a very thin layer of frosting that is applied to the cake to traps all the crumbs, making it easier to add a final coat. Method: After applying a thin layer of frosting to your cake, place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set. Then finish frosting and decorating your cake.
- Store carrot cake in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy for up to 4 days. I enjoy it right out of the fridge because it’s so moist, but you can also allow the cake to come to room temp before serving.
- Prep Time: 45 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 to 35 Minutes
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