Mini Carrot Cakes

These Mini Carrot Cakes are adorable for any spring gathering. The perfect make ahead dessert, these cakes are individual portions ideal for entertaining a crowd. With a classic cream cheese frosting, they’re guaranteed to be a hit with family and friends.

If you’re ready to celebrate spring, these Mini Carrot Cakes have all the goodness of a giant slice of carrot cake in an easy to eat individual serving. Our secret technique for making these quickly and easily is to bake the cake in a sheet pan. We cut out small cake rounds with a biscuit cutter and assemble them with the classic cream cheese frosting. They are always the star of the show on our spring table!

This is also a dessert recipe that the whole family, including the kids, likes to help out with the day before the party. My son and daughter always look forward to decorating these. They’re also great to give as a gift!

If you like impressive, flavor-packed desserts like this one, be sure to try a few of our other favorites: our Coconut Meringue Pie, Mini Cheesecake Bites, and Cherry Berry on a Cloud.

Moist, easy and delicious, the ladies at my spring tea just ooed and awed!! – Kathleen

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Simple Dessert Recipe: These mini carrot cakes are great for bakers of all ages, and they’re especially fun to make with kids. They’re beautiful on a platter for Easter alongside these Mini Almond Cream Pie treats.
• Perfect Prep Ahead Treat: Make your sheet pan cake ahead of time so all you have to do is the fun part when you’re ready to serve – assemble and decorate! They’re adorable served alongside Peeps Whoopie Pies.
• 4 Ingredient Cream Cheese Frosting: Using only 4 simple ingredients, this rich and creamy frosting is easy to whip together and tastes even better.
• Easy to Customize: Whether it’s with candied nuts, fresh fruit, an extra dusting of spices or edible flowers, you can serve these adorable mini carrot cakes in so many ways.

Laura Ashley’s Tip: This carrot cake recipe uses a shortcut method to make several individual cakes. Bake the batter in a baking sheet and cut the cakes out using a ring mold.

Ingredients

Scroll down to recipe card for exact ingredient amounts.

Carrot Cake

• All-Purpose Flour: gives the dough it’s main structure and texture. For a gluten-free version, use 1 for 1 cup gluten free flour.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder: the leavening agents – these are responsible for helping the cake to rise just the right amount and keeps it tender and soft.
• Salt: balances out the sweet flavors.
• Granulated Sugar: gives the cake a base sweetness and creates a soft, spongey texture.
• Brown Sugar: adds caramel notes and a deeper flavor to the cake.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: gives the cake those warm, spiced flavor notes signature to carrot cake. This spice mix is often made with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
• Vegetable or Canola Oil: the fat for this cake that brings the batter ingredients together. It also is key in giving this cake a soft, moist and spongy texture.
• Eggs: binds all of the ingredients together.
• Vanilla Extract: adds in flavoring the cake batter, we love how this flavor pairs perfectly with the warm pumpkin pie spice and bright carrots.
• Shredded Carrots: the key to all delicious carrot cakes! Shred whole carrots (skip the pre-shredded stuff!) These give the batter moisture, their signature flavor and chewy texture.
• Apples and Walnuts: optional add-in ingredients to bring out extra sweet and nutty flavors and texture.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream Cheese: gives a richness and tanginess to the frosting, and it’s the signature flavor that pairs so perfectly with sweet, spiced carrot cake
• Powdered Sugar: adds just the right amount of sweetness to the frosting to compliment the tangy cream cheese
• Vanilla Extract: flavors the frosting and brings all of the flavors together
• Heavy Cream: gives the frosting a luxurious, velvety smooth texture

How to Make Mini Carrot Cakes

For The Carrot Cake

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice, then set aside.
2. In a large bowl or in a stand mixer, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract on medium speed until well combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Don’t overmix!
4. Fold in the carrots, apples, and walnuts (if using).

5. Grease and flour a 12″x17″ half-sheet pan, or line it with parchment paper.Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
6. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven 20-25 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
7. Using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter (or your desired shape), cut out circles and arrange the mini cakes on a wire rack. You should have 24 circles when finished.

8. Assemble the mini cakes in this order: 1 mini cake, 2 tablespoons frosting, 1 mini cake on top (lightly press), and another 2 tablespoons of frosting spread on top or piped with an icing bag.

9. Garnish the cakes as desired: dust with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, add candied walnuts, candied pecans, additional shredded carrots, or candied carrot strips. Top with fresh berries, edible flowers, edible Easter grass, Easter candy, toasted coconut flakes, or lemon zest. You could also color a portion of the frosting with orange and green and pipe a carrot on top.

For The Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Place cream cheese in a large bowl or stand mixer bowl. Whip the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and free of lumps.
2. Add powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until it’s incorporated into the cream cheese, then increase the speed to medium high. Beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
3. Add vanilla extract and half of the heavy whipping cream. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the remaining heavy whipping cream.
4. Continue whipping the mixture on medium-low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high. Beat until it takes shape and thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Once the mixture holds a nice peak, it’s done. Don’t overmix as this can break the icing down.

Substitutions and Variations

• Swap out the pumpkin pie spice. You can use your own spice blends or favorite warm spices here instead. Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice are all great in this recipe.
• Garnish with coconut and chopped nuts. To add a different flavor profile and a little extra crunch. Another beautiful garnish for these festive cakes are these Candied Orange Slices!
• Mix it up and make buttercream frosting. Cream cheese frosting might be the classic pairing, but a basic buttercream would also be delicious with this cake.
• Add other mix-ins. Some favorites are chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts), juicy raisins, crushed pineapple, or shredded coconut.

Storage and Freezing

Storing the baked sheet cake in the fridge before cutting out mini cakes is a great make-ahead tip. Carrot cake gets better with time! Cover it tightly, then bring it to room temperature on the counter when you’re ready to enjoy it.

Freeze baked cake before assembling with frosting. If you’ve got extra carrot cake, or a few extra mini cake rounds, freeze them in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat them, thaw them in the fridge, then bring them to room temperature and simply add frosting.

FAQs

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