This incredibly easy Small Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting is a perfect replica of my mom’s potluck favorite.
I’ve mentioned on the blog before that we weren’t huge bakers in my house growing up, BUT, my mom did have a few really good go-to recipes in her arsenal that she brought out for special occasions.
One of those recipes was (and still is) her carrot cake. If she gets asked to bring a dessert to a potluck, I guarantee you, that’s what she’s going to bring. And when she does, at least five people will tell her it’s the best carrot cake they’ve ever eaten.
And they’re not wrong. Her carrot cake is a pretty magnificent thing. You bake it in a 9×13-inch pan, so it’s huge and basically perfect. It’s soft and fluffy, with just the right level of spice, and the entire thing is just smothered in a killer cream cheese frosting. (Update: so many people have emailed me asking for her recipe, I put it on the blog. You can find her easy carrot cake here.)
With spring nearly here and Easter just around the corner, I thought today would be a good day to share my mini version on the blog, so here we go.
This is a direct replica of my mom’s cake, so it’s everything described above, plus, it’s a small carrot cake, so you don’t need the excuse of a party to whip it up. And look how cute and tiny it is!!
This cake will serve four very generously or make six smaller servings. Make it over the weekend for you and someone special, or if you have a couple of good lunch buddies at work (whenever we’re all back at work), I totally recommend baking it and surprising everyone at lunch. If you bake it in a pyrex dish, you can even just snap on a lid and go.
Ingredient Notes
- Loosely packed grated peeled carrots: To grate your carrots, use the large holes of a box grater and then loosely pile them into your measuring cup for measuring.
- Allspice: This recipe uses allspice, but not all carrot cake recipes do, and some people don’t enjoy the flavor. You can omit the allspice if you don’t have/like it or cut the amount in half.
- Softened cream cheese: My go-to cream cheese brand for baking and frosting is Philadelphia cream cheese. Make sure to allow enough time for your cream cheese to soften at room temperature. Cream cheese that’s too cold will leave cream cheese lumps in your frosting.
- Walnuts for topping: Nuts are optional. I’m not a fan of nuts anywhere near my carrot cake so these went straight into the garbage post photo shoot. If you like nuts, great, cover your cake in them and enjoy that crunch. If you don’t, skip them! 😉
How to Make a Small Carrot Cake
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a small bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, vegetable oil, and egg until well combined. Stir in flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold in grated carrots. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place cake (in pan) on a cooling rack, and cool completely before frosting, about 45 minutes.
FAQ
I don’t have a 7×5-inch baking dish. What else can I use?
You can also bake this in a 6-inch round or square cake pan.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes. If you’d like to double the recipe, you can make a 2-layer 6-inch cake or bake it in an 8×8-inch pan, and extend the baking time as needed. To double the recipe ingredients, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
If you’d like to make an extra-large version, go make my Mom’s Carrot Cake, which is this recipe but baked in a 9×13-inch pan.
Does carrot cake need to be stored in the refrigerator?
Yes. Because of the cream cheese frosting, this cake should be stored in the refrigerator. Unfrosted carrot cake, however, can be stored at room temperature.
More Small Cake Recipes
Recipe Notes
- This recipe has been updated to switch the baking soda out with baking powder, which creates a more stable cake and eliminates the slightly metallic flavor that some people sensitive to the taste of baking soda were experiencing. If you loved the old version, no problem! Simply continue to use the same amount of baking soda where the recipe now calls for baking powder.
Small Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Special Equipment
Carrot Cake
- ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup loosely packed grated peeled carrots
Frosting
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons (2oz) unsalted butter softened
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (80g) powdered sugar sifted
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease your baking dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, vegetable oil, and egg until well combined. Stir in flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold in grated carrots. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place cake (in pan) on a cooling rack, and cool completely before frosting, about 45 minutes.
Frosting
- Whisk together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add sifted powdered sugar and salt and whisk until well-combined and fluffy. Spread frosting over the cake. Chilling before serving is optional but recommended.
- Serve cake in the baking dish and enjoy!
Notes
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Lydia says
Wow, I made this last night – absolutely YUM!!!
Tracy says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lydia!!
Samantha says
Tracey
Would this work in 2 six inch round pans?
Thanks
Samantha Aydt
Tracy says
It will work in one 6-inch round pan. If you want two layers, double the recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
INDIRA says
I luuuvv your recipes and always look forward to trying new ones ……They are easy to make and there aren’t any leftovers to store..Small batch….Perfect!!
Tracy says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipes!
Tracey says
My boyfriend says this cake “was to die for”. It turned out so moist…just awesome. I’m happy I found your site and will be looking for more recipes to make.
Tracy says
Yay! So glad you guys enjoyed it!!
Amber says
Hi Tracy! Just curious… I don’t have a 7×5 baking dish. Do you think I could use 6in springform pan instead? Maybe just increase the baking time slightly?
Tracy says
Hi, Amber! Yup, that should work with the slightly longer baking time. This is a pretty rustic cake, so I’m not sure how *pretty* the cake will look when you release the pan, but it should taste just fine. 😉
teri says
can I make it in muffin pan??
Tracy says
You can! They’ll have a pretty flat top, but they still taste great. Just reduce the baking time–I’d start checking on them at around 16 minute, but they’ll probably take 17-22ish minutes (I haven’t timed them as cupcakes/muffins before). Please let me know how they turn out!
Kirstin says
My cake tested done but sank a lot as it cooled. I might try the recipe in a 6″ round pan instead.
Tracy says
Hi Kirstin, sorry your cake sunk! Hope it still tasted great!
Isabelle says
OMG this cake is so good and I’m impressed as this is my first time baking carrot cake. I’ll admit at first I was nervous about the 1/2 cup flour and wasn’t sure if this cake was going to turn out right but boy was I wrong. I ate it warm out of the oven with caramel and pralines icecream as i didn’t use any nuts in the recipe. It tasted better than most desserts I’ve had from restaurants. Thank you for sharing your sweet secret recipe with us! Forever grateful 🙂
Tracy says
Isabelle!! This comment made me so happy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake, and I love the idea of eating it with ice cream. I’ve never tried that before, but I think I need to now!
Effie White says
Can’t wait to try!!! Im going to add raisins. Thanks for posting!
Tracy says
Hope you enjoy it, Effie!!
Theresa says
I tried making this cake twicw already because I love carrot cake. Both times just didnt work out. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I followed all the directions and measurements to a T. The baking soda taste was overpowering, it sunk both timea and the edges of the cake were burned but the center was still raw. So bummed cause I bought a pyrex baking diah specially for this recipe.
Tracy says
Hi, Theresa, I’m so sorry to hear that, especially since you bought a baking dish for the recipe! If you are interested in troubleshooting, I would try two things: First, try with a new batch of baking soda. I’ve never experienced a very strong baking soda taste with this cake, so it might have gone off. And two, check your oven calibration with an oven thermometer. It could be running hot or cold, causing the cake to cook unevenly and sink.
Janet selinka says
I read the recipe as using baking powder not baking soda?
Tracy says
Hi Janet, that’s correct. A previous version used baking soda, and that note was for people who had made the cake in the past and liked that old version. You can just ignore it. 🙂
giulia says
can you double it?
Tracy says
Yes. You can double it and bake it in an 8×8-inch pan.
Heather says
Does the baking time increase if we double the recipe? Thanks!
Tracy says
Yes. You’ll definitely have to extend the baking time if you double it.
Emily says
Hey lovely recipe! Would you need to squeeze any excess water put of the carrots before putting them into the mixture?
Tracy says
Thanks, Emily! And nope, just shred and bake. 🙂
Sara says
Wow, just, wow. So far I’ve made the carrot cake and the angel food cupcakes this week. (Didn’t have to buy a thing; had all the ingredients in the house.) The two recipes were so easy and quick, I couldn’t believe it. Not just the flavor, but the texture in both desserts was amazing. Now I don’t have to figure out where in the freezer to put 10 big pieces of leftover cake or else have to eat the same dessert all week. I can’t get over that I’ve found small-batch dessert recipes that are fantastic and easy. Good job! – Sara
Tracy says
Thanks, Sara! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes, and this comment just made my day!
Rhonda says
Could you make cupcakes with this recipe??
Tracy says
Hi, Rhonda, you absolutely can, but they’re not very pretty cupcakes. This is a really rustic cake, so the cupcake tops come out pretty flat and sometimes craggy. But they taste great though. 😉
Natalie says
How many cupcakes does this make?
Tracy says
Hi, Natalie, I’m not sure. I’ve never made this into cupcakes. I would think 3 to 4 when filled 2/3 of the way full, but that’s just a guess. Please let me know if you give it a try!
Lala91 says
I made the mistake of adding baking powder thinking it was missing from the recipe and that I had to add it. Next time I will make it without baking powder. Despite this it tasted AMAZING! Thank you so much!
Tracy says
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it!
Katie says
Made this and it was incredible!!! I was also wondering if you’d be willing to share the recipe for the full-size 9×13? Thanks!
Tracy says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it. And I’m happy to share the larger version. I don’t have it on the site yet, but feel free to email me [email protected] about it and I’ll email it to you. 🙂
Mel says
What…no pineapple?
Tracy says
Only on pizza, never in my carrot cake. 😉
Stephanie Salyer says
Looks great. I need to make this!
Krisztina Szucs says
What size is the pan that you were using?
Tracy says
This pan is 7×5, but a 6-inch round cake pan or anything with about 35 sq inches of surface area will work.
Carolyn Ross says
I made the cake in a 5″ square glass pan and it cooked in 25 minutes. It was delicious! I had my doubts because the batter looked so “meager” I thought there must be something missing- but it rose when baking and was enough for 4 (except for the people who wanted seconds!) the frosting is delicious as well. Its definitely going to be a cake I’ll make again and again. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Carolyn!! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Lorraine says
I believe you have a mistake here. 1/2 cup of flour does NOT = 60 grams. mine came out aweful as I used the 1/2 cup measurement. Please clarify? Or correct me if I’m wrong.
Tracy says
Hi, Lorraine, a cup of spooned and leveled flour will weigh about 120 grams, so 1/2 cup will be 60 grams. That said, this recipe is fairly forgiving, so just scooping 1/2 cup of flour, even if it gets condensed and packed in so you end up with more than 60g, shouldn’t be enough to negatively affect the cake. Did you make any substitutions or changes?
Lorraine says
No I didn’t. Cakes were uncooked in the middle. Even though I cooked an additional 10 minutes. I’m an experienced cook/Baker. But I see lots of great comments so I wonder. My ingredients are all fresh. The flavor was great. I’m confused. I may try to weigh my flour. I’m determined! Your recipes are amazing!
Tracy says
Huh. Very odd! The one thing I will say is cooking time can vary quite a bit with these little cakes depending on the type of container you use, so if it’s not done, just keep cooking until it is. The carrot keeps these cakes pretty moist, so you shouldn’t have to worry about things drying out. Good luck, and please keep me updated!
Carole says
Tastes great but always falls in the centre. My baking soda is good and oven temperature agrees with thermometer. Very frustrating.
Barbie says
Amazing! I adore carrot cake but didn’t have enough ingredients to make a full cake recipe. I made this using a 6″x3″ round cake pan instead of the 7″x5″. I like my carrot cake with raisins and walnuts so I added about 2 Tbsp of each. Mine baked for 38 minutes and came out perfectly! I like my cream cheese frosting in think layers so there was a perfect amount for me. If I didn’t have to share this, I wouldn’t have. Definitely keeping this one!
Tracy says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the carrot cake, Barbie!!
Chelsea Kram says
This was delicious! I made the cake last night, topped it with cream cheese frosting this morning, then popped it back in the fridge for a few hours before serving. It was perfect for two of us!
Pam Wurtz says
The printed recipe I see doesn’t list baking soda…only baking powder so why are people talking about baking soda?
Thanks
Tracy says
Hi, Pam, see the note above the recipe card. 🙂
Hannah Flack says
I make something very similar and freeze it. The trick is to reheat it in the oven and not the microwave (which makes it weird and soggy).
Hannah Flack says
I so enjoy your site and your recipes. Would you please consider adding a print option so we can enjoy your recipes a little more easily. Thank you.
Tracy says
Thanks, Hannah! There’s a print button for all of the recipes in the recipe card just below the star rating. 🙂
Coleen says
I’d like to add a little crushed pineapple to the batter, have you ever tried that?
Tracy says
I haven’t, but this cake’s pretty sturdy, I think a little would probably work. Too much though and it might end up mushy.
Judy says
Do you have a weight for the carrots?
Thank you
Tracy says
I don’t, sorry! I always measure carrots by volume. I’ll try to take the weight the next time I grate some.
kay says
I am wondering if 2 ramekin 10oz dish will work . Dont have 7 x 5 dish. got a 8 x8.
Tracy says
Hi, Kay. It depends on the size of the ramekins. You want between about 30-35 inches of surface area. If you want to use the 8×8, that will work great but you’ll need to double the recipe and extend the baking time a bit. Hope that helps!
Jane says
If doubling the recipe, do I double the number of eggs as well?
Tracy says
Yes, double all the ingredients if doubling.
Donna Fleming says
Hi. Can I use a buttercream frosting instead. I am aware that some people won’t believe it when I say that I hate cream cheese. I love carrot cake and I usually have to scrape off the frosting because all carrot cakes come with cream cheese. My husband doesn’t like cream cheese, either. Is there a buttercream frosting you can recommend that will go with carrot cake?
Tracy says
Hi, Donna, you can use a regular vanilla buttercream instead of the cream cheese frosting. Here’s a link to my small-batch vanilla frosting that some people use instead: https://bakingmischief.com/small-batch-vanilla-frosting/
Andrea says
This was my 1st time making a carrot cake and it was amazing. Then 3 days later I made another one for a friend who is gluten free. She was in heaven! Now my family wants me to make the full size version for an upcoming gathering. What a great recipe. Thanks so much.
Claudia says
I made this in a 15 inch saucepan cooked on low to medium heat to save wasting power in the oven for such a small batch
Just make sure to use baking paper so the bottom doesn’t burn