Easy Carrot Cake for Two

If you ask me, carrot cake is best enjoyed in small batches.

This scaled-down version makes just enough for two people, so you can satisfy a craving without leftovers sitting around for days. Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger mix with freshly grated carrots and a hint of orange zest.

It’s topped with a simple cream cheese frosting that comes together in minutes. The cake itself is moist and lightly sweet, with that classic carrot cake flavor you love.

It’s a cozy dessert that’s perfect for date night or when you just want a little something special without making a full-sized cake.

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What Kind of Carrots Should I Use?

Fresh carrots are definitely the way to go for this recipe – you’ll want to grate them yourself rather than using pre-shredded carrots from a bag. Regular orange carrots work perfectly fine, though you could also use rainbow carrots if you want to add a fun twist. Make sure your carrot is firm and not bendy or dried out, as fresher carrots have more moisture and natural sweetness that really comes through in the cake. When you’re grating, use the medium-sized holes on your box grater for the best texture – too fine and the carrots will disappear, too coarse and you’ll have chunky bits.

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Options for Substitutions

This small-batch carrot cake is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Flour: All-purpose flour is what you need here for the right texture. You can try whole wheat flour for half the amount, but using all whole wheat will make the cake dense and heavy.
• Spices: Don’t have all three spices? You can use just cinnamon (increase to 3/4 teaspoon) or swap in pumpkin pie spice for the whole mix. The ginger and nutmeg add warmth, but the cake will still taste good without them.
• Brown sugar: Regular white sugar works fine if that’s what you have. You’ll lose a bit of that molasses flavor, but the cake will still be sweet and moist.
• Vegetable oil: Canola oil, melted coconut oil, or even melted butter can replace the vegetable oil. Stick with a neutral oil for best results.
• Cream cheese frosting: If you’re not a fan of cream cheese frosting, try a simple vanilla buttercream instead using the same amount of butter and powdered sugar, plus a splash of milk.
• Carrot: The carrot is essential for this recipe – it’s what makes it carrot cake! Make sure to grate it finely so it bakes evenly throughout the small cake.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making carrot cake is not squeezing out excess moisture from the shredded carrots, which can lead to a dense, gummy texture – after grating, press the carrots between paper towels to remove extra liquid.

Overmixing the batter once you combine the wet and dry ingredients will develop too much gluten and make your cake tough, so stir just until the flour disappears and you don’t see any dry streaks.

Since this recipe makes such a small batch, keep a close eye on your ramekins after the 25-minute mark and test with a toothpick – overbaking will dry out these little cakes quickly.

Make sure your cream cheese and butter are truly at room temperature before making the frosting, otherwise you’ll end up with lumps no matter how much you mix.

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What to Serve With Carrot Cake?

Carrot cake is pretty rich and sweet on its own, so I like to keep things simple on the side. A hot cup of coffee or tea is really all you need to balance out the cream cheese frosting and warm spices. If you’re serving this for a special occasion, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side makes it feel extra indulgent. You could also add some fresh berries like strawberries or raspberries if you want a little fruity contrast to cut through the sweetness.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your carrot cake covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The cream cheese frosting needs to stay cold, so don’t leave it out on the counter for more than a couple hours.

Freeze: You can freeze this cake for up to 2 months, but I recommend freezing it unfrosted for the best texture. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and add the frosting fresh when you’re ready to eat.

Serve: This cake actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together. Just take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving so it’s not too cold and the frosting softens up a bit.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 650-750
• Protein: 6-9 g
• Fat: 28-34 g
• Carbohydrates: 95-110 g

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1 egg (room temperature, about 70°F)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 carrot (finely grated, about 1/2 cup packed)
• 1/2 tsp orange zest

For the frosting:

• 1.5 oz cream cheese (I prefer Philadelphia brand)
• 1 tbsp butter (softened to room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
• Pinch of salt

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Preheat

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1 carrot, finely grated
• 1/2 tsp orange zest

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

While it heats, measure out all your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger) into a bowl and whisk them together—this aerates the dry ingredients and distributes the leavening agent and spices evenly.

Finely grate your carrot (you should have about 1/2 cup packed) and zest your orange.

Set everything aside.

I like to use a microplane for the orange zest because it gives you the bright citrus oils without any bitter white pith.

Step 2: Build the Wet Ingredient Base

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 carrot, finely grated from Step 1
• 1/2 tsp orange zest from Step 1

In a separate bowl, whisk together the room-temperature egg, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla until the mixture is well combined and slightly pale—this takes about 1 minute of whisking.

The room-temperature egg incorporates more evenly into the batter, creating a better texture.

Fold in the grated carrot and orange zest until just combined, making sure the carrot is distributed throughout.

Step 3: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

• wet ingredient mixture from Step 2
• dry ingredient mixture from Step 1

Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined—do not overmix, as this can develop gluten and make the cakes tough.

A few small lumps are perfectly fine; the batter should come together in about 10-15 gentle folds.

Stop as soon as you don’t see streaks of dry flour.

Step 4: Prepare Ramekins and Bake

• batter from Step 3

Lightly grease two 6-8 oz ramekins with butter or cooking spray and divide the batter evenly between them, filling each about three-quarters full.

Place them on a baking sheet (for easier handling) and transfer to your preheated 350°F oven.

Bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs—start checking at 28 minutes to avoid overbaking.

The cakes will be set on the edges and slightly tender in the center when done.

Step 5: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1.5 oz cream cheese
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt

While the cakes bake, prepare the frosting so it’s ready when they cool.

In a clean bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.

Sift in the powdered sugar (sifting prevents lumps in your frosting) and add the vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

I find that sifting the powdered sugar directly into the mixture and beating it in prevents those grainy texture issues that can happen with cream cheese frosting.

Step 6: Cool and Frost

• frosting from Step 5

Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in their ramekins for 5-10 minutes—this brief rest allows them to set slightly so they won’t crumble when you handle them.

You can serve them warm in the ramekins or turn them out onto plates once they’ve cooled a bit.

Top each cake with a generous dollop of the cream cheese frosting from Step 5 while the cakes are still slightly warm (the warmth will soften the frosting slightly and help it meld with the cake).

Serve immediately.

Easy Carrot Cake for Two

Delicious Easy Carrot Cake for Two recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 47 minutes mins

Servings 2 cakes

Calories 700 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the cake::

• 1/2 cup flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1 egg (room temperature, about 70°F)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 carrot (finely grated, about 1/2 cup packed)
• 1/2 tsp orange zest

For the frosting::

• 1.5 oz cream cheese (I prefer Philadelphia brand)
• 1 tbsp butter (softened to room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. While it heats, measure out all your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger) into a bowl and whisk them together—this aerates the dry ingredients and distributes the leavening agent and spices evenly. Finely grate your carrot (you should have about 1/2 cup packed) and zest your orange. Set everything aside. I like to use a microplane for the orange zest because it gives you the bright citrus oils without any bitter white pith.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the room-temperature egg, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla until the mixture is well combined and slightly pale—this takes about 1 minute of whisking. The room-temperature egg incorporates more evenly into the batter, creating a better texture. Fold in the grated carrot and orange zest until just combined, making sure the carrot is distributed throughout.
• Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined—do not overmix, as this can develop gluten and make the cakes tough. A few small lumps are perfectly fine; the batter should come together in about 10-15 gentle folds. Stop as soon as you don't see streaks of dry flour.
• Lightly grease two 6-8 oz ramekins with butter or cooking spray and divide the batter evenly between them, filling each about three-quarters full. Place them on a baking sheet (for easier handling) and transfer to your preheated 350°F oven. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs—start checking at 28 minutes to avoid overbaking. The cakes will be set on the edges and slightly tender in the center when done.
• While the cakes bake, prepare the frosting so it's ready when they cool. In a clean bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Sift in the powdered sugar (sifting prevents lumps in your frosting) and add the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. I find that sifting the powdered sugar directly into the mixture and beating it in prevents those grainy texture issues that can happen with cream cheese frosting.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in their ramekins for 5-10 minutes—this brief rest allows them to set slightly so they won't crumble when you handle them. You can serve them warm in the ramekins or turn them out onto plates once they've cooled a bit. Top each cake with a generous dollop of the cream cheese frosting from Step 5 while the cakes are still slightly warm (the warmth will soften the frosting slightly and help it meld with the cake). Serve immediately.