Mini Carrot Cakes
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These Mini Carrot Cakes are simple to make, using spiced cake mix, vanilla pudding, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. Top them with cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans for an adorable presentation.
If you love carrot cake, you will adore these mini carrot cakes! Made with a spiced cake mix and vanilla pudding, they are moist and full of flavor. These individual-sized cakes are a cinch to assemble and are the perfect dessert after a dinner of Lemon Chicken or Chilean Sea Bass.
How To Make Mini Carrot Cakes
- Preheat the oven to 325℉, and spray an 11×17-inch rimmed baking sheet with baking spray. Then, set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, pudding mix, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Whisk to combine.
- Add the oil, water, and eggs, to the dry ingredients. Use an electric mixer to mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Then, use a spatula to fold in the shredded carrots.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 25-28 minutes until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Use a 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles of cake. Transfer them to a large piece of parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the butter and cream cheese until fully combined. Add in vanilla and powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, while mixing on low speed. Increase the speed to medium and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add frosting to the piping bag and decorate the cakes making every two cakes into a mini layer cake with frosting in the middle and on top. Top with additional shredded carrots, and chopped pecans. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Mini Carrot Cakes Tips
Tips
- Disregard the ingredients listed on the cake mix package. Follow the ingredients and instructions listed in the recipe card (below).
- Freshly shredded carrots work best in this recipe. Pre-shredded carrots or matchstick carrots are too thick and don’t mix well.
- Mixing the cake at a low speed is important to keep the cake from being dense and tough.
- To make this recipe in a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan, remove a little more than ½ cup batter to prevent overflow. Using those measurements will yield 9 mini layer cakes.
- Use any leftover cake and frosting to make cake pops.
How to Cut Mini Circular Cakes
- Use a cookie cutter with a thin sharp edge as opposed to a biscuit cutter.
- Set the cake out (uncovered) overnight to help dry out some of the moisture and assist with the cutting process.
Mini Carrot Cakes Decorating Tips
- Pipe a swirl of frosting on half of the cakes. This will be the bottom layer. Then, add the top layer and pipe frosting over tops.
- Add finely chopped pecans or a few pieces of shredded carrots for garnish.
Storage and Freezing
Refrigerator: Store the frosted mini carrot cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Store cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Freezing: To freeze, wrap unfrosted mini carrot cakes tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to two months. Thaw overnight on the counter before frosting and serving.
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Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 15.25 ounces spice cake mix, 1 box (We used Betty Crocker spiced cake mix.)
- 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding, 1 box
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup vegetable oil, or other neutral tasting oil
- 1 cup water
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups carrots, finely shredded (about 2-3 large carrots)
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces block-style cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup pecans, finely chopped (optional for topping)
- Additional finely shredded carrots for topping, optional
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325℉, and spray a 11×17-inch rimmed baking sheet with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, pudding mix, nutmeg, cloves and whisk to combine.15.25 ounces spice cake mix3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding½ teaspoon ground nutmeg¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Add the oil, water and eggs. Use an electric mixer and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Then, use a spatula to fold in the carrots.½ cup vegetable oil1 cup water4 large eggs2 cups carrots
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes until the cake is lightly browned, is pulling away from the sides of the baking sheet, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cake completely before moving on to the next step.
- Use a 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter to cut out circular cake pieces. Transfer them to a large piece of parchment paper.
For the Frosting:
- In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and cream cheese until fully combined.½ cup unsalted butter8 ounces block-style cream cheese
- Add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and vanilla, mixing on low speed until all the powdered sugar has been added. Increase the speed to medium and mix until light and fluffy.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract4 cups powdered sugar
- Add frosting to the piping bag and decorate the cakes making every two cakes into a mini layer cake with frosting in the middle and on top.
- Top with chopped pecan and shredded carrots. Enjoy! See post for storage options and tips.½ cup pecansAdditional finely shredded carrots for topping
Notes
*The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1 mini carrot cake. Actual calories will vary.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cakeCalories: 541kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 5gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 381mgFiber: 2gSugar: 58g