Most people underestimate the popularity of carrot cakes, I know I did. I always assumed people would pick chocolate cake or red velvet as a favorite but actually, most people pick carrot! This recipe is for the best mini carrot cake loaves recipe with a cream cheese frosting, they are super simple to make and even cuter to look at.
Ingredients for Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
- Sunflower oil
- Extra-large eggs
- Light brown sugar
- Self-raising flour
- Salt
- Ground ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Ground nutmeg
- Carrots
- Walnuts
These are straightforward ingredients, however, if you do not have the ground spices you can use 1 ½ teaspoon of mixed spice as a substitute.
I have often also run out of brown sugar and used muscovado instead. And this substitute also works really well in this recipe.
If you don’t have access to walnuts, pecans are a great alternative. I choose not to add raisins and currants to this recipe but you are free to include them when adding the nuts. Chopped fresh or tinned pineapple also works really well in this recipe.
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Icing
- Icing sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
When making frostings I always use unsalted butter. Be sure your butter is at room temperature before you start making the frosting otherwise except cold lumps of butter in your finished frosting. Lemon zest and vanilla extract can also be added to the cream cheese frosting if desired.
Tips for Baking the Best Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
- Start with room temperature ingredients.
- Use an oven thermometer to check the temperature of the oven before baking.
- Line the mini loaf pans with sunflower oil and baking paper, this way the loaves will come out of the tins easily.
- Roast the walnuts in a dry pan before adding them to the cake batter, this adds a great flavor to the cake.
- Peel the carrots before grating, and grate them finely.
- Test the doneness of the loaves with a skewer, if the skewer comes out clean then the loaves are ready to be removed from the oven.
- Allow the mini loaves to cool before piping them with the cream cheese frosting.
Tips for Making the Perfect Cream Cheese Icing
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature. If you are unsure what this is, it should be soft but not melted. If you choose to use cold butter expect to see hard lumps of cold butter in your cream cheese icing. Rewhipping the frosting will not remove these lumps and may cause the frosting to become runny.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl when beating the frosting, this is to ensure the frosting is whipping evenly.
- The frosting is ready to be pipped when it is fluffy and voluminous. If not yet ready, scrape the bowl and whip again at high speed.
- Be sure to pipe the mini loaves soon after making the frosting as the frosting should be soft and fluffy when pipping. If you arent yet ready, just re-whip the frosting before piping.
What to do if You Don’t Have Mini Loaf Pans?
If you don’t have mini loaf pans you can bake this recipe in cupcake cases. This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes. Adjust the baking time if making cupcakes instead of mini loaves. For cupcakes, the bake time should be 12 – 15 minutes when baking at 180C.
How to Store Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
These mini loaves should be frosted the day they are made to prevent them from drying out. During cooler temperatures, store the mini loaves in an airtight container for a couple of days at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. During warmer temperatures refrigerate the mini carrot cake loaves for up to a week. Allow the mini loaves to come to room temperature before serving.
These mini carrot cake loaves are the perfect Easter treat or on any day really! A great alternative to cupcakes and traditional layer cakes.
Looking for other Easter treats? Try this recipe for Mini Easter Egg Cookies or this one for Easter Pavlova.
I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know if you do by commenting below or tagging me in your bakes on Instagram!
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Best Mini Carrot Cake Loaves Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 12 mini loaf pans 10 x 5 x 4cm
Ingredients
Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
- 280 grams light brown sugar
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 280 grams sunflower oil
- 280 grams self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 280 grams carrots, grated
- 100 grams walnuts, chopped and toasted
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 160 grams unsalted butter
- 500 grams icing sugar
- 250 grams cream cheese
Instructions
Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line 12 mini loaf pans with baking paper.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and sunflower oil. Beat until well combined about 3 minutes.
- Sift together the flour, salt, and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix until just combined.
- Using a spatula fold through the grated carrots and walnuts. Mix until combined. Pour into the mini loaf pans filling until ¾ full.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove the tins from the oven and allow them to cool for 15 minutes in their tins before removing them and allowing the loaves to cool completely on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the butter and the icing sugar to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the all cream cheese at once and beat again until combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again for about 5 minutes at medium-high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen attachment and pipe the mini loaves. Top the cream cheese frosting with crushed nuts and mini fondant carrots if desired. Enjoy!
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