Mini Carrot Cakes

5.0
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1 Review

Mini carrot cakes are a perfect way to serve a holiday favorite to a big crowd.

By
Joy Howard
Joy Howard
Joy Howard

Joy Howard is a cookbook author, food stylist, and recipe developer who's spent more than a decade creating recipes for home cooks. She is the author of Disney Eats and the forthcoming Tomato Love (Storey Publishing, Summer 2022), is a frequent contributor to Southern Living and America's Test Kitchen, and for many years wrote a column for EatingWell magazine about cooking with kids.

Southern Living's editorial guidelines
Updated on July 18, 2024
Recipe tested by
Southern Living Test Kitchen
Southern Living Test Kitchen
Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen

The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama.

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Active Time:
40 mins
Cool Time:
1 hr 55 mins
Servings:
12

These mini carrot cakes come studded with carrot ribbons that lend their vegetal sweetness to the warmly spiced batter. Shredded sweetened coconut, chopped toasty walnuts, and golden raisins throughout add texture and intrigue to each bite of these mini delights. The silky, sweet coconut buttercream layered in between and on top is the perfect compliment to the tender cake. 

They make an adorable option for any Easter gathering, but would also work well at wedding or baby showers. You’ll want to keep these in the fridge until ready to serve though, as they may start to lean if the buttercream gets too warm. If you don’t feel like stacking, you could just treat this like a sheet cake and slater your buttercream over the top.

Southern Living Mini Carrot Cakes on plates to serve

Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster 

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 tsp. baking soda

  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 cup canola oil

  • 1/2 cup whole milk

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (from 2 large peeled carrots)

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts

  • 1/3 cup golden raisins, finely chopped

Coconut Buttercream:

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

  • 1/2 tsp. coconut extract (optional)

  • 6 cups powdered sugar

  • 3-4 Tbsp. well-shaken and stirred coconut milk (from 1 [13 1/2-oz.] can)

  • Toasted sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

  1. Prepare the Cake:

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed 17 1/2- x 12 1/2-inch baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Stir together flour, brown sugar, coconut, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl until combined; set aside.

  2. Whisk together eggs, oil, and milk in a medium bowl. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until smooth. Fold in carrots, walnuts, and raisins until combined.

  3. Spread batter evenly into prepared baking sheet using a spoon or an offset spatula. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of Cake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through bake time. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

  4. Prepare the Coconut Buttercream:

    When Cake is cool, beat butter, vanilla, salt, and coconut extract (if desired) in a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon of the coconut milk after each addition, beating until combined. Beat in remaining 1 tablespoon coconut milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed to achieve a smooth and thick consistency. Place Coconut Buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch French (fluted) open star tip.

  5. Use a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter to cut Cake into 24 rounds. (Reserve scraps for another use.)

    Southern Living Mini Carrot Cakes cutting the circles out of the cake

    Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster 

    Place 1 cut Cake round on a plate or platter; pipe an even layer of the Coconut Buttercream over top.

    Southern Living Mini Carrot Cakes piping the frosting on the cake layers

    Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster 

    Cover with another Cake round. Pipe buttercream on top of stacked rounds as desired.

    Southern Living Mini Carrot Cakes assembling the cakes

    Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster 

    Repeat with remaining Cake rounds and butter- cream. Garnish with toasted coconut. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

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