These Mini Carrot Cake Loaves have all the flavour and moistness of a classic carrot cake, but in adorable individual portions. This mini carrot cake recipe makes 12 mini loaves packed with grated carrots, spices, and walnuts and piped with a silky cream cheese frosting.
If you love mini desserts, you can't skip these Mini Meringue Kisses, these Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts, or these Mini Vanilla Cupcakes.
Why This Mini Carrot Cake Recipe Works
- Recipe name: Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
- Ready in: 1hr 30 minutes (plus cooling time)
- Serves: 12 mini loaves
- Main ingredients: Carrots, oil, brown sugar, walnuts, flour, spices, icing sugar, and cream cheese.
- Perfect for: Easter baking, mini dessert, or as a birthday surprise for a carrot cake lover!
- Why I love it: These individual carrot cakes are super moist and easy to make! Packed with nuts and spices, this is the best carrot cake recipe!
- Calories: 791kcal
I love making this mini carrot cake recipe as part of an Easter dessert spread! Serve it alongside these no-bake Mini Cheesecake Easter Eggs and this Easter Chocolate Bundt Cake for the perfect Easter lunch dessert!
Key Ingredients
- Spices - I used a mixture of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. If you don't have these individual spices, use 1 ½ teaspoon of mixed spice as a substitute.
- Brown sugar - I have often also run out of brown sugar and used muscovado instead; this substitute also works really well in this recipe.
- Walnuts - If walnuts are unavailable, pecans are a great alternative.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
These mini carrot loaves are simple. I chose 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. For the frosting, you can add lemon zest or vanilla for extra flavour, or even make this Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting instead.
How to Make Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
Mini Carrot Cakes
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C and line 12 mini loaf pans with oil and baking paper. In the 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.
- Step 2: Sift together the flour, salt, and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix until just combined.
- Step 3: Using a spatula, fold the grated carrots and walnuts through. Mix until combined. Pour into the mini loaf pans, filling them until ¾ full.
- Step 4: 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 cakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 15 minutes in their tins, then remove the loaves and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Step 1: 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.
- Step 2: Add all the cream cheese at once and beat again until combined.
- Step 3: 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.
- Step 4: 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. Enjoy!
The best carrot cake recipe everybody who has had it have said how amazing they are
- Stacey
Expert Tips for Cream Cheese Frosting for Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature. If you are unsure what this is, it should be soft but not melted. If you use cold butter, you'll see hard lumps in your cream cheese icing. Re-whipping the frosting will not remove these lumps and may make it runny.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl when beating the frosting to ensure it is whipping evenly.
- The frosting is ready to be piped 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 piping. If you aren't yet ready, just re-whip the frosting before piping.
Mini Carrot Cake Loaves FAQs
Yes, you can choose to leave the nuts out completely. Or you can substitute them with cranberries, raisins, or sultanas.
Yes, you can decorate these mini carrot cakes with this Vanilla Bean Frosting without cream cheese. You may also serve this mini loaf recipe with just a dusting of icing sugar or a lemon glaze, made with icing sugar and lemon juice.
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, bake for 12-15 minutes at 180 °C.
To freeze these mini cakes, wrap each loaf in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then bring the loaves to room temperature before consuming.
Mini carrot cake loaves will keep for a few days at room temperature in an airtight container. If refrigerated, they can last up to one week.
Frost the mini loaves on the day they are made to prevent them from drying out. In cooler weather, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. In warmer weather, refrigerate the loaves for up to a week and bring them to room temperature before serving.
More Carrot Cake Recipes
These mini carrot cake loaves are perfect to make for a special celebration, whether they are the star of the show or a side act, everyone will love them! If you're looking for more celebration recipes, see my collection of Easy Homemade Birthday Cake Recipes for Beginners, and don't miss this Bar One Chocolate Caramel Cake!
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this recipe! And if you're wondering what to try next, have a look at these Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting!
📖 Recipe
Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
Equipment
- 12 mini loaf pans 10 x 5 x 4cm
Ingredients
Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
- 280 grams light brown sugar
- 3 eggs extra-large
- 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 toasted and chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 160 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 500 grams icing sugar sifted
- 250 grams cream cheese room temperature
Instructions
Mini Carrot Cake Loaves
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line 12 mini loaf pans with baking paper.
- In the 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 them 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 cakes 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 all the 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. Enjoy!
Notes
- Lemon zest and vanilla extract can also be added to the cream cheese frosting for flavouring if desired.
- Line the mini loaf pans with sunflower oil and baking paper, this way the loaves will come out of the tins easily.
- Peel the carrots, then grate them finely.
- Roast the walnuts in a dry pan before adding them to the cake batter. This adds a great flavor to the cake.
Stacey says
The best carrot cake recipe everybody who has had it have said how amazing they are
Cat Spiller says
Thanks so much for your comment Stacey, I so glad everyone loves this recipe! 🙂
Lee says
Amazing recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂