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, 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
- Small Chocolate Cake
- Small Red Velvet Cake
- Small Banana Cake
- Small Lemon Pound Cake
- Small Pumpkin Cake
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.
Mez says
Delicious portion size great for two people will definitely make again
Nancy says
I made this little cake today .. taste is good I probably added a little more carrots than what it called for and I also added walnuts ..
My mistake was I baked in a 8×8 pan and didn’t double the ingredients !! So it’s VERY thin. … I guess like a slab cake !!
Will make again but double the recipe !!!
JoAnn Wells says
This is our favorite carrot cake recipe, perfect for two and comes out great every time I make it (about once a month). Today I plan on doubling it for an 8×8 pan. Fingers crossed it comes out as well as the original does and I’m gonna go a little crazy and add pineapple to it! Best carrot cake recipe I’ve tried. Thanks, Tracy.
Karla says
For me this was perfect, as written. Loved it! I googled ‘baking for two’ this afternoon because I love making desserts but there is always so much left over. I made this and loved it. Excited to try more of your recipes.
Amalia says
Turned out great. Great little size but also like it’s easily able to be doubled.