Small Carrot Cake Recipe

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Hello Daring Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My delectable Small Carrot Cake Recipe offers you precisely what you’re craving! Tender, flavorful cake topped with the dreamiest frosting delivers unbeatable do-it-yourself goodness with no fuss.

• Excellent for Easter or any event: My mini carrot cake is excellent for a small vacation gathering, or as a part of a dessert buffet. This petite cake can also be a fast and simple weekday dessert (and makes an unimaginable present!).
• Everybody’s favourite taste! Carrot cake ticks all of the packing containers for a particular dessert, nevertheless it’s not overly wealthy or heavy.
• Huge taste, petite dimension: Warmly candy, subtly spiced, moist cake lined in irresistibly creamy, tangy frosting delivers every little thing you’re keen on in a scaled-down model.
• Simple to customise: Make this cake with walnuts and coconut, or go away one (or each) out. Brief on time? Get pleasure from it unfrosted—it’s scrumptious by itself—or just mud with confectioner’s sugar.
• Prepared in lower than an hour! My 6-inch cake bakes quicker and comes collectively extra rapidly than a regular-sized carrot cake.

All of us want do-it-yourself cake in our lives, and with a household of three, I’m all about small-batch recipes! That method, we’ve precisely what we would like (with out a mountain of leftover cake calling me from the fridge for days!). This mini carrot cake recipe is a single, superbly spiced, tender layer with simply the correct quantity of creamy frosting.

As knowledgeable chef who has made a whole lot of carrot muffins, my high tip is to finely grate the carrots in order that they mix seamlessly into the batter because the cake bakes, including moisture and beautiful taste (as a result of nobody desires chunks of carrot of their cake!). Additionally, I discover preferences for carrot cake very private. Whether or not or not you utilize nuts, coconut, or raisins is as much as you. Make this cake your method, and be happy to experiment—should you don’t need to use walnuts, go away them out or use an equal weight quantity of one other nut, raisins, or shredded coconut.

Desk of Contents

What’s Small Carrot Cake?

Small Carrot Cake is a mini model of conventional carrot cake—a single-layer, 6-inch cake topped with cream cheese frosting. Finely grated carrots make the cake moist and mildly candy, and brown sugar and heat spices deepen the flavour. Carrots had been typically used to sweeten desserts within the Center Ages as a result of sugar was so costly. By the early 1800s, steamed carrot pudding was fashionable sufficient to be included in a French cookbook. This mini carrot cake is an excellent small-scale dessert for a household supper or a small ceremonial dinner, and is ideal for Easter or different spring celebrations.

Key Components and Substitutes

For the Small Carrot Cake

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour gives sufficient gluten to present the cake construction whereas nonetheless having a mushy crumb.
• Substitute: For a gluten-free choice, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking combine like my Simple Almond Flour Baking Combine, or one other gluten-free flour.

Cinnamon and Nutmeg

• Cinnamon offers the cake homey heat and an intoxicating scent.
• Nutmeg provides depth and a spicy-sweet be aware.
• Substitute: Rather than cinnamon and nutmeg, you should use 1 1/4 teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice

Baking soda

• Baking soda reacts with the acid in brown sugar, producing carbon dioxide bubbles that give the cake elevate.

Salt

• Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the flavour.

Egg

• The egg brings the entire substances collectively right into a clean, cohesive combination.
• Importantly, egg offers the cake construction.
• Use room-temperature eggs for the very best outcomes. Right here’s tips on how to heat eggs rapidly and safely.
• Substitutes: As an alternative of an egg, use 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon floor flax seeds combined with 3 tablespoons water, let sit for five minutes earlier than utilizing), or 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) applesauce (this may occasionally make your cake softer), or 3 tablespoons yogurt.

Darkish brown sugar

• Darkish brown sugar provides a wealthy, molasses sweetness.
• Importantly, darkish brown sugar additionally provides moisture, maintaining the cake mushy.
• Darkish brown sugar provides a superbly deep taste to the cake. It’s simple to make your personal.
• Substitute: You should use the identical quantity of coconut sugar, however it could provide you with a barely drier cake.

Butter

• Butter offers this cake great richness, taste, and moisture.
• Importantly, melted butter is used right here, which creates a tender crumb.
• Butter actually elevates the flavour of this carrot cake. Whereas most carrot muffins comprise vegetable oil, butter provides a refined dairy be aware, extra creaminess, and a stunning caramelized taste.
• Substitute: In the event you don’t need to use butter, use the identical quantity of a impartial oil (like vegetable oil) or coconut oil.

Orange zest (non-compulsory)

• Orange zest provides vibrant taste that enhances the opposite substances and balances out the richness.
• Moreover, the orange zest provides an wonderful aroma to the cake.

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract provides a heat, floral-like be aware.
• Substitute: Use the identical quantity of Vanilla Bean Paste should you want.

Carrots

• Carrots present pure sweetness and moisture.
• Moreover, carrots give the cake a stunning coloration.
• Word that the carrots should be finely grated to mix into the batter correctly.

Walnuts (non-compulsory)

• Walnuts add a crunchy texture and an earthy taste.
• Substitutes: Omit the nuts should you don’t like them, or use the identical quantity of pecans, or 1/4 cup (1.4 oz/35 g) of raisins, or 1/4 cup (3/4 oz/21 g) shredded coconut should you want.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese

• Cream cheese offers the frosting a wealthy, velvety texture and a barely salty tanginess that enhances the candy cake.
• Use cream cheese offered in blocks, and never tub-style cream cheese, which accommodates extra water and gained’t create the right consistency.
• Make your personal cream cheese with my simple recipe.

Butter

• Butter offers the do-it-yourself cream cheese frosting construction and stability, so it’s cohesive and straightforward to unfold.

Entire milk

• Entire milk thins the frosting sufficient to make it spreadable, with out diluting its creaminess.
• Substitute: You too can use an equal quantity of cream or half-and-half.

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract rounds out the flavors.

Powdered sugar

Make Small Carrot Cake Recipe

For the Carrot Cake

1. Put together to bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line a 6-inch (15-cm) spherical cake pan with parchment. Butter the parchment, mud with flour, and faucet out the surplus. Put aside.
2. Combine dry substances: In a small bowl, whisk collectively the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.

3. Add moist substances: In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the egg, brown sugar, melted butter, orange zest (if utilizing), and vanilla extract till clean.

4. Mix dry substances and moist substances: Fold the flour combination into the moist substances till virtually mixed, then add the carrots and walnuts (if utilizing), and blend till simply included.

5. Add batter to pan: Switch the batter to the ready pan and unfold it evenly.
6. Bake cake: Bake for 30-35 minutes till a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clear.

5. Let cool: Let the cake cool within the pan for 10 minutes, then switch to a wire rack to chill fully.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

8. Combine frosting substances: In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese and the butter collectively till clean. Then combine within the milk and the vanilla extract.
9. Add sugar: Progressively add the powdered sugar, and blend till absolutely mixed.
10. Frost cake: Unfold the frosting over the cake, leaving the edges uncovered.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Professional Chef Suggestions

• Grate the carrots finely: Finely grated carrots soften into the batter, maintaining the cake moist with out creating dense pockets. For the very best outcomes, I like to recommend doing this by hand with a field grater.
• Measure the carrots after grating: It will guarantee you have got an correct quantity and that the cake has the appropriate moisture steadiness and texture.
• Stir simply till the dry substances disappear: To maintain the cake tender, don’t overmix.
• Begin checking for doneness 5 minutes earlier than the prompt bake time. Small muffins bake quicker, and each oven is completely different.
• Cool fully earlier than frosting: Even slight heat may cause frosting to soften and slide.
• Triple the frosting recipe if you wish to have sufficient to frost the edges of the cake.
• Bake the cake the day earlier than should you want: Carrot cake tastes even higher the subsequent day when the spices mellow and all of the flavors have time to mix.
• Attempt these variations!
  • You possibly can omit the nuts and stir in the identical quantity of raisins soaked in orange juice. Soak for half-hour for the very best taste and texture.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of grated ginger to the batter together with the orange zest.
  • Whisk a 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom in with the dry substances.
  • Sprinkle two tablespoons of finely chopped recent or canned pineapple (blot dry first) and 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut on high of the frosting.

Make-Forward and Storage Directions

Make-ahead ideas

• You can also make this cake forward of time. Bake the cake, cool fully, cowl properly in plastic wrap, and retailer within the fridge for as much as two days.
  • Frost proper earlier than serving.
• For longer storage, you possibly can freeze the unfrosted cake.
• Bake the cake, cool fully, wrap properly, and place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.
• Freeze for as much as 8 weeks.
  • When able to serve, take away the cake from the freezer bag. Thaw the wrapped cake within the fridge in a single day.
  • Unwrap the cake and let it sit at room temperature for one hour earlier than frosting.

Easy methods to retailer leftovers

• Retailer leftover frosted cake in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as two days.

FAQs

Can I make this cake gluten-free?

How do I make this cake egg-free?

• Sure, you can also make this cake egg-free. As an alternative of an egg, use one among these substitutes:
  • 1 tablespoon of floor flaxseed combined with 3 tablespoons of water, and let sit for five minutes earlier than utilizing.
  • 3 tablespoons yogurt
  • 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) of applesauce (the cake could have a softer texture).

Can I make this cake if I don’t have a 6-inch cake pan?

• In the event you don’t have a 6-inch (15-cm) cake pan, you possibly can bake this cake in an 8-inch (20-cm) cake pan.
• Simply so you realize, a cake baked in a bigger pan shall be thinner, so begin checking the cake for doneness at quarter-hour.

How do I be certain my carrot cake has a moist texture?

• To make sure your cake has a moist texture, measure the carrots after grating. This ensures you might be utilizing the correct quantity.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Combine till the substances are simply included.
• Don’t overbake the cake. Begin checking for doneness after 25 minutes.
• For the very best texture, you possibly can bake this cake a day forward. The cake will get moister because it sits, and the flavors mellow and enhance.

Can I double this recipe and make a two-layer cake?

• I wouldn’t suggest doubling this recipe to make a layer cake.
• Please use my Greatest Carrot Cake Recipe to create a four-layer cake with cream cheese filling and frosting.

Extra Carrot Cake Recipes