This small batch carrot cake recipe is extra moist, perfectly spiced, and the ideal size for 2-4 people! It yields the perfect amount of batter for a mini layer cake with three 4-inch layers or a single layer 6-inch cake. Paired with tangy cream cheese frosting and (optional!) toasted pecans, it’s a classic carrot cake in mini form that’s perfect for date night, a small gathering, a smash cake, or to satisfy a carrot cake craving!

small batch carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting

small batch carrot cake with cream cheese frosting slice on a plate

My Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe in Mini Form

I used my favorite carrot cake recipe as a starting point for this small batch recipe, and the tiny version is just as delicious. Each bite is beautifully moist, warmly spiced, and completely irresistible. Here’s what I love about it:

Easy to make. There’s no mixer involved here, everything comes together by hand.
Perfect spiced carrot flavor. Most of the flavor comes from brown sugar, fresh grated carrots, and four warming spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. I like to up the spice level in my carrot cake recipes so they really come through (without being overpowering of course).
Beautifully moist. Between the grated carrot, applesauce, and oil, this small batch carrot cake pulls out all the stops when it comes to moisture.
Even better with time. Making this cake a day or two ahead yields an even more moist and flavorful cake!
Incredible with cream cheese frosting. Tangy cream cheese frosting is a classic flavor pairing for carrot cake, but if you want to take it to the next level, pair it with brown butter cream cheese frosting!
Conveniently sized for small celebrations. Whether you bake this as a mini layer cake or a single layer cake, the portions are perfect for up to 4 people (or 6 if you cut the slices super small).

Baking a Mini Layer Cake vs. Single Layer 6-inch Cake

This small batch carrot cake can be baked as a triple layer 4-inch cake (as pictured) or a single layer 6-inch cake. I am partial to the mini layer cake because it’s just so cute! If you do decide to bake it as a layer cake, you’ll need three 4-inch cake pans. Once the layers are baked, the process for filling, stacking, and decorating the cake is very much the same as any full-sized layer cake. You’ll use all the same tools and methods.

If you only have a 6-inch cake pan on hand, you’ll add all of the batter into the pan, bake the cake, and use the cream cheese frosting to decorate the top (and sides too, if you want). The vibe here is more like a snacking cake – rustic and simple yet tempting. Since the cream cheese frosting recipe below makes enough for filling and decorating the mini layer cake, you might consider halving the frosting portion of the recipe so you have just enough for the single layer.

Deliciously Tangy Cream Cheese Frosting

To keep things classic with this mini carrot cake, I made a small batch of my favorite cream cheese buttercream to pair it with. It’s stable enough for filling and stacking layer cakes, frosting the finish, and even piping the swirls on top. Cream cheese buttercream is notoriously soft and can be difficult to work with, but I have found a few best practices for making this cream cheese buttercream the perfect consistency:

Use full-fat brick style cream cheese. I use Philadelphia brand, but any brick-style cream cheese that’s not low-fat will do. Other kinds of cream cheese (low-fat or the spreadable kind in the tub) contain too much water content and will always result in a soupy frosting that’s too thin for filling and frosting a cake. If you don’t have access to brick-style cream cheese, make a batch of my vanilla buttercream to pair with this cake instead.
Refrigerate to thicken the consistency. If you make the cream cheese frosting and find that it’s not thick enough for your liking or your kitchen environment is super warm, pop the frosting in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to let the butter solidify a bit. Then, re-mix it on low speed with your stand mixer to make it smooth and uniform. The trip to the refrigerator will thicken the entire buttercream to a workable consistency.

cubed cream cheese to bring to room temperature quickly

small batch cream cheese frosting on carrot cake

If you want to take this carrot cake a step beyond, pair it with brown butter cream cheese frosting! The rich, nutty caramel notes of the brown butter with the tang of the cream cheese really enhance the warm spices in this carrot cake. The only extra thing you’ll do is brown the butter at the beginning of the recipe and bring it back to room temperature before continuing on with a standard cream cheese frosting recipe. The same best practices above apply.

How to Make a Small Batch Carrot Cake

Step 1: Grate the carrots. For this recipe, you’ll need about 2 medium carrots (or 87g if you’re using a kitchen scale).

Step 2: Make the carrot cake. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then use a separate medium bowl to whisk together the sugars and wet ingredients. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients before folding in the grated carrot.

Divide the batter evenly between three 4-inch cake pans or one 6-inch cake pan, then bake until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs. After baking, remove the cake(s) from the pan(s) and cool on a wire rack until room temperature.

Step 4: Toast the pecans (optional). If you’re planning on decorating the cake with toasted pecans, now is the time to make those! I like to bake mine in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 300ºF for about 8 minutes. Shake the pan at the halfway point for even toasting.

Step 4: Make the cream cheese frosting and decorate. Make the cream cheese frosting according to the instructions below, then use it to fill and stack the cake layers (if making a layer cake) and decorate. I frosted a rustic buttercream finish on my cake with a small icing spatula, added swirls on top with Wilton Tip 1M, and garnished with the toasted pecans.

4-inch carrot cake layer cake recipe with cream cheese buttercream and toasted pecans

More Small Batch Cake Recipes You’ll Love

If you want more small batch cake flavors, I have an entire category dedicated to these mini recipes on my blog! Here are some of the most popular flavors:

I hope you love this small batch carrot cake recipe as much as I do! Let me know if you make it in the comments below (and who you shared it with!) and don’t forget to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me a photo. I love to see what you create!

Equipment

Ingredients

Small Batch Carrot Cake

2/3 Cups (87g) grated carrots about 2 medium
3/4 Cups + 2 Tbsp (116g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbsp (25g) granulated sugar
1/2 Cups (100g) packed brown sugar light or dark
1/3 Cup (80ml) vegetable oil
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1/4 Cup (34g) unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Small Batch Cream Cheese Buttercream*

6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 Oz (170g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese*, room temperature NOT the spread
3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt, or to taste

Garnish

1/2 Cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions

Make the Small Batch Carrot Cake

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºF) and prepare three 4-inch or one 6-inch cake pan by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom(s).
Grate the carrots by hand and measure them out into a small bowl. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. In another medium bowl, whisk together the white and brown sugars, vegetable oil, egg and egg yolk, applesauce, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together using a rubber spatula until just combined, then fold in the grated carrots.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan(s). If using 4-inch cake pans, bake for 22-28 minutes. If using a 6-inch cake pan bake for 26-30 minutes. The cake is done when it springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before assembling and decorating.

Make the Toasted Pecans (Optional)

Preheat the oven to 300ºF (149ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the chopped pecans on top in a single layer and bake for 6-8 minutes, shaking once at the halfway point. Let cool to room temperature before garnishing the cake in Step 2 of the the Assembly process.

Make the Small Batch Cream Cheese Buttercream

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer and large bowl), cream the butter and cream cheese on medium-high until light, fluffy, and uniform (no lumps), about 5 minutes.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vanilla and salt and mix on low for another minute, until fully combined and smooth.

Assembly

Once the carrot cake is completely cooled, frost and decorate with the cream cheese buttercream. To create the mini layer cake pictured, level the cake layers to your desired height. Add a swipe of cream cheese buttercream onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Fill and stack the cake with cream cheese buttercream, then crumb coat the cake with cream cheese buttercream. Place the crumb coated cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the buttercream set firm.
Use the remaining cream cheese buttercream to frost a rustic finish on the cake, then press some toasted pecans onto the bottom third of the cake. Pipe a swirl border on top of the cake with Wilton Tip 1M and garnish with more toasted pecans.

Notes

*Cream Cheese Frosting Amount: this frosting recipe makes enough to fill, frost, and decorate the mini layer cake pictured. If you are making the 6-inch version, a half batch of the above recipe will make the perfect amount for adding one layer of frosting to a single layer cake.

*Cream Cheese: It’s very important to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese in this recipe (I use Philadelphia brand), not the spread or low-fat variations. The spreadable kind and reduced fat versions contain much more water content and will add too much liquid to the frosting, making it impossible to work with. If you don’t have access to brick-style cream cheese, I recommend making a double batch of my vanilla buttercream recipe instead.

Make Ahead Tips:

The carrot cake layer(s) can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
The cream cheese buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix it with your stand mixer on low speed until it’s smooth and uniform.
The decorated cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Take it out of the refrigerator an hour or two before serving – it stores best cold but tastes best at room temperature.

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