This mini carrot cake is a moist, soft, and perfectly spiced two layer 6 inch cake. It’s frosted with luscious cream cheese frosting. This recipe is perfect for Easter and other holiday celebrations.
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If you’re looking for an easy mini carrot cake, this recipe is for you. This 6 inch carrot cake recipe is a moist, soft, perfectly spiced cake. It is topped with classic cream cheese frosting.
The easy recipe comes together easily and is the perfect mini size. You can enjoy it anytime of the year.
If you’re looking for more cake and cupcake recipes, try my pumpkin carrot cake, pumpkin olive oil cake and pumpkin carrot cake cupcakes.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delicious: This cake is moist and warmly spiced just like these scrumptious carrot scones and my carrot cake cheesecake. The cream cheese frosting is luscious and delicious.
- Easy: It only takes minutes to mix the batter by hand. No special equipment needed.
- Perfect for any occasion: This small carrot cake recipe makes a two-layer 6-inch carrot cake. It’s perfect for a small celebration or anytime you’re craving carrot cake. Craving more carrot cake recipes? Try these yummy carrot muffins!
- Make-ahead: This cake is a great make-ahead dessert. It stays moist for days thanks to the shredded carrots, oil and applesauce in the batter.
Ingredients
Here are useful notes on some of the ingredients.
- Oil: Use vegetable or canola oil. Oil makes this cake super moist. I prefer a flavorless oil for this recipe. This allows the flavor of the warm spices to be the focus.
- Brown sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh.
- 2 eggs: Use 2 large, room temperature eggs.
- Spices: The combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice or allspice adds the best warm flavor.
- Carrots: You will need 1 1/2 cups of shredded carrots. That is about 2-3 medium carrots. Make sure to grate your whole, peeled carrots at home. I don’t recommend using store bought shredded carrots. If you have extra carrots, be sure to make my recipe for carrot cake cookies!
- Unsweetened applesauce: Applesauce helps the cake extra moist.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat block of cream cheese, not the kind in a tub, for the frosting. Leave cream cheese out at room temperature for at least an hour before making the frosting.
- Powdered sugar: Sift the powdered sugar to make sure your frosting is smooth and free of lumps.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of applesauce, use sour cream or buttermilk.
- Add some pecans or walnuts to the batter or as a topping. Be sure to chop nuts finely before adding them to the batter.
- Use orange and green gel food coloring to pipe carrots for decoration. Just mix a few spoonfuls of frosting with the colors and pipe mini carrots on the sides and top of the cake.
- For thinner layers, divide the batter between three 6-inch cake pans. The layers will bake up faster since they are thinner. Be sure to start checking them for doneness sooner.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Whisk together the sugars and eggs. Stir in the vanilla and applesauce followed by the oil.
Step 3: Stir the wet and dry ingredients together with a spatula until just combined.
Step 4: Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 31-35 minutes. Place the cake pans on a rack. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans. Turn them out when cool.
Step 5: Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer til smooth. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Beat 30 seconds then turn mixer up to high for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Step 6: Top the first layer with 1/2 cup frosting. Place top layer bottom side up. Use a spoon or offset spatula to frost. Frost the sides. Top with chopped nuts, if desired.
Expert Tips
- Make sure your spices are fresh.
- Avoid using store bought shredded carrots. To grate your carrots, rinse then peel them. Grate carrots using a box grater or food processor.
- Use block-style, room temperature cream cheese.
- Sift the powdered sugar to prevent lumps in the frosting.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but I recommend oil. Carrot cakes can be made with butter, but most carrot cakes use oil instead of butter. Oil makes the cake moist and helps it stay moist for days.
Carrot cake tastes like warm spices. Carrots have a mild flavor and most recipes use a neutral oil. Cream cheese frosting is creamy and luscious, but it doesn’t have a strong flavor. This allows the flavor of the spices to stand out.
It’s best to store carrot cake in the refrigerator. It can be left out for a couple of hours while serving. Cream cheese frosting spoils quickly and is best refrigerated.
Store this carrot cake mini in an airtight container such as a cake carrier in the refrigerator for 4 days. To freeze, wrap the cooled, unfrosted cake layers in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours before frosting and serving.
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Mini Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- ¾ cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup oil canola or vegetable
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce or buttermilk or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice or pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ cups grated carrots about 2- 3 medium carrots, 150 grams
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
Mini Carrot Cake
- Spray sides and bottoms of two 6 inch cake pans baking spray. and line pans with a round of parchment paper Spray parchment paper with baking spray. Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice or pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, sugars, applesauce or sour cream, and vanilla until no lumps of brown sugar remain.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold the wet ingredients in with a spatula until just combined. Stir in the carrots until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 30-34 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
- Keep the cakes in their pans. Place pans on a wire rack. Allow cakes to cool completely in their pans on the racks.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the room temperature butter and room temperature cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract, salt and powdered sugar. Turn the mixer on low for 30 seconds. Turn mixer up to high speed and beat 2 minutes until creamy. Add extra powdered sugar, if you'd like the frosting thicker.
Assembling the Cake
- Once the cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife or a cake leveler to level off the domes on the tops of the cakes to create even layers.
- Place one cake layer on a cake turntable or cake stand. Spoon a dollop of about ½ cup of frosting on the top layer. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Place the top layer bottom side up on top. Spread the rest of the frosting on top and on the sides. Decorate with chopped nuts, if desired. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes to allow frosting to set before slicing.
- Cake can be sliced across the diameter then vertically or cut into traditional wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Kare grasso
This recipe looks amazing going to make it for Easter and Beto a friends house
Natalie
Hi! Thank you so much for your kind words and for planning on making this for easter. I can’t wait for you to try it and hope it’s a big hit! Have a great evening 🙂
Brooke A
This is an awesome carrot cake recipe! Came out delicious and everyone loved it.
Natalie
Thank you so much Brooke! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Patsy
Hi ! I made the mini carrot cake and used a 9inch tin, very happy with the taste, just a little disappointed it didn’t rise a bit more . Maybe I stirred it too much? But flavour was great.
Natalie
Hi Patsy, Thanks so much for making this recipe! I’m sorry the cake didn’t rise more, but happy you enjoyed the flavor. Thanks for your feedback.
kimberly rorick
This cake was perfect! This was the lightest, most delicious carrot cake I have EVER made. Most carrot cakes are heavy, but not this one! Natalie provides easy to follow instructions! I threw out my other carrot cake recipes and replaced it with this one!
Natalie
Hi Kim! Thanks so much for the 5 star review! I’m so happy you enjoyed this cake and honored it’ll be your go to carrot cake recipe! XO
Christine Joseph
Delicious and easy to follow recipe!
Natalie
That is what I love to hear! Thanks so much for making this Christine! Have a great week 🙂
Gracia
best ever recipe i ve tried !!delicious only used butter instead of apple sauce👍👍👍
Natalie
Hi Gracia! Thanks so much for making this carrot cake and for your kind words! So happy you loved it and thank you for sharing your recipe notes! Have a great day!
AG
I’m confused, does this recipe call for pumpkin purée or no? I thought I saw it in the text at the beginning and maybe towards the end, but don’t see it on the list of ingredients or instructions?
Natalie
Hi there, so sorry for the confusion! No-this recipe does not call for pumpkin puree. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Allie Piscopo
This was so delicious and easy to make!! Definitely my new go to for carrot cake ☺️
Natalie
Thank you so much for this comment Allie!! I’m so happy you enjoyed this mini carrot cake and love to hear it’s your new go to recipe!:)