I’m lovin’ these desserts for two! It’s such a life saver for anyone living by themselves or with just one other person. Just enough indulgence without going overboard. When a reader requested a carrot cake recipe for two, I was happy to give it a try (or three tries). I LOVE carrot cake and I almost always have a partial bag of carrots hanging out in my fridge because I love shredding one or two into different recipes for added nutrients and they stay good for quite some time. So these little Carrot Cakes for Two are a great way to use up the last one or two carrots in the bag.
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It took me three tries to get this recipe right, but hey, I’m not complaining. That just means I got to eat carrot cake three times. Tee-hee! I left the recipe pretty simple as just a spiced cake loaded with shredded carrots, but you could always add a few raisins or even some shredded coconut to the mix (stir them into the wet ingredients). Oooh, or walnuts. Yes, walnuts would be good in there too. Yum.
Carrot Cake (for two)
Servings 2Ingredients
CAKE
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour $0.05
- 1/2 tsp baking powder $0.04
- 1/4 tsp salt $0.02
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon $0.05
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg $0.03
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger ((optional) $0.02)
- 1 large egg ((yolk only) $0.19)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar $0.12
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract $0.07
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil $0.08
- 1 medium carrot $0.14
FROSTING
- 1 oz . cream cheese $0.22
- 1 Tbsp butter $0.07
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract $0.07
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar $0.13
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir until evenly combined.
- Peel the carrot and use a large holed cheese grater to shred it into a separate bowl. Add the egg yolk, brown sugar, vanilla, and vegetable oil to the shredded carrot. Whisk these ingredients together with a fork until evenly combined.
- Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and stir just until evenly combined.
- Coat two small (6oz.) ramekins with non-stick spray, then divide the batter between the two. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet to make them easier to transport in and out of the oven. Bake the cakes for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- While the cakes are baking, place the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl and allow them to come to room temperature. Once room temperature and soft, whisk with a fork until smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar a little at a time until it is all incorporated.
- Allow the cakes to cool before spreading the cream cheese frosting over top (otherwise it will melt and slide off). Enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Carrot Cake for Two – Step by Step Photos
Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp ground ginger (optional).
In a separate bowl, combine the yolk of one large egg, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, and one medium carrot that has been shredded using a large holed cheese grater. Whisk with a fork until evenly combined.
Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and stir just until they are combined and no dry clumps remain. Try to avoid over mixing.
Coat two small 6oz. ramekins with non-stick spray (or a muffin tin) and divide the batter between the two. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet to make it easier to move them in and out of the oven. Bake the cakes for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the cakes are baking, add 1 oz. cream cheese, 1 Tbsp butter, and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract to a bowl. Let them come to room temperature, so they are soft and easy to work with.
It’s easier to whisk the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together into a paste before adding the powdered sugar. Once you have the soft paste, add the powdered sugar a little at a time until it’s all incorporated.
Ta-da! Now let these cool before adding the icing (or else it will melt and slide off).
Once the cakes are no longer hot-hot (a little warm is okay), slather that delicious icing over top. Oh my.
And enjoy.
I wish that the amount of carrot needed was in an actual measurable amount (i.e: 1/4 C or something) rather than “1 medium carrot”. I used what I thought was 1 medium carrot and it came out horribly. Which never happens with your recipes!
Could someone give me a rough estimate of how much grated carrots are needed here? Are we aiming for 1/4 cup, or 1/3 cup, or 1/2 cup? Don’t want to just wing this crucial ingredient. Thanks!
Hi Nancy- A medium carrot is about 2 ounces, so 1/4 cup. xoxo -Monti
Thank you!
Hubby is a diabetic.What can I do to make this more to his condition?
This was pretty tasty and perfect for an unplanned desert after a nice Christmas meal! I have to say that the frosting was very much on the sweet side – and too much for me (I don’t tend to like super sweet sweets) . My boyfriend loved it though! I didn’t have a carrot on hand, but I had a bunch of baby carrots – which worked out great! Thanks again for your awesome/amazing/crazy super helpful blog!
Test drove this recipe in the microwave tonight (2.5 mins on high in 2 mugs) because my oven is broken and we’re celebrating our third wedding anniversary on the cheap this week. Grosse bise, Budget Bites!
Perfect Fall Desert! Smells terrific while baking and tastes So Good! We’ve made it three days in a row now. Very easy recipe to follow, and doubled it when my son came over.
Personal preference, I used half the amount of nutmeg.
This was amazing. I have a weakness for carrot cake!!
This was so yummy! A great classic carrot cake recipe. I made this for my mom for her birthday because we didn’t want to have a huge cake in our house. Instead of two small ramekins I put all the batter into one small springform pan and it was perfect.
How many calories per serving? Btw, I REALLY appreciate the small portion recipe!!🙌🏼
We only recently brought on a Registered Dietician to our team. She’s working hard behind the scenes to update the entire recipe database, over 1500+ recipes, with nutritional information. She’s working her way from the newest recipes back and it takes some time to update them all. Stay tuned!
Do you think a flax egg would work? My husband is allergic to eggs :( thank you!
Yes you can try that! We haven’t tested it that way so the flax may give it a different flavor. You could use applesauce or pumpkin too.
I checked and I have large ramekins (14 oz). Would it work to put all of the batter in one large ramekin?
Yes it just may take a little longer to cook.
First time ever making from scratch anything… i followed the recipe except i ran out of vanilla extract and had to use almond extract. This was the best dessert EVER!! My husband was trying to get me to make another batch same night🤣
Hi Beth,
Just the perfect recipe for me to whip up for my mom’s birthday next week (we don’t need a lot of cake to feed 1 person lol). Just wondering why are we only using the yolk? What happens if I put in the whole egg? Thanks!!!
Hi Sha, that’s a great question! So the yolk is mostly fats, which keep cakes soft and moist, whereas the whites of an egg are all protein, which can become rubbery when baked. In a large cake, where the egg amount is small in comparison to the total batter, you’re not really in danger of having that rubbery effect, but in such a small amount, like a mug cake, that much protein can quickly change the texture in a bad way. :) I hope that makes sense!
Can you assist on what the recipe, bake time, etc to make this into a full 2 tier cake (with icing in between the two layers), so a more traditional style cake? We LOVED making the cake for 2, but now want to make it for the full family.
Unfortunately I don’t have a full-sized version of this. I would need to do a lot of testing to make sure everything is translates right into a larger portion before giving advice, and I haven’t tried it. :(
I’ve made this full size version cake using the same ingredients and it was delicious. https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/sigrids-carrot-cake-perfect-for-easter/
So good. Perfect for a cheat day.
Easy and delicious!!! Thank you! :)
Would this make enough batter for a six inch pan or will it make a kind of skinny layer? Thanks
I have made this cake twice and it is awesome. Super moist and delicious. I even bought a box grater just to make this cake because I always have a few baby carrots in the back of the fridge. This cake is quickly becoming a favorite in my recipes for two!
These cakes turned out moist n delicious, they were nice as it is without the frosting
Lovely. but I baked these in the Microwave. 1 mn 45 seconds on mine. the second time, I didn’t separate the batter, leaving the batter in the bowl that I mixed in (wet ingredients then dry ingredients mixing after each addition. I micro baked for about 2min 15 seconds. And then let sit for about 2 minutes. this saves heating up a whole oven for just a small batch. Light, airy, delicious. And plenty of time to make the glaze while baking and cooling. I am always looking for recipes to adapt for micro baking, and this is one more for my collection. Thank you so much. Oh– I added a few chopped walnuts to the party for a bit of crunch.
This was so delicious. Everything about it was perfect!
I almost never remember to leave reviews for recipes, but I’ve made this carrot cake three times now in a month and it is pure heaven. I like to cook the batter as a single cake in a 2 cup round glass Pyrex, double the frosting recipe, carefully divide the cake into two layers with a serrated knife, and spread a layer of frosting in the middle as well as around the sides of the cake. My boyfriend was SO sure he didn’t like carrot cake, probably having encountered too many dry and nut/raisin packed versions over the years. He is now a carrot cake convert thanks to this recipe. It’s so incredibly moist, spiced like Christmas without being over the top, and most importantly, SO easy to throw together at the last minute with ingredients I always have on hand! You could easily fold in nuts or raisins at the last minute if desired, but I think it’s perfect in its pure form.
This cake also seems to get somehow better after a day or two in the fridge, if you can make it last that long. Can’t wait to try doubling or tripling it and showing it off during a family vacation in a couple of weeks. I really cannot thank you enough for this recipe.
Can these be cooked in the microwave?
I haven’t tried that, unfortunately.
I haven’t stopped thinking about carrot cake for days so I thought I may as well make one. I really didn’t want to make a huge cake because I’d definitely eat it all so I was so glad to find your recipe! Made the perfect amount for my partner & I & was absolutely delicious! So easy too! Thanks Beth!
I don’t know what u did wrong, but I only had enough batter for one ramekin and the batter was super thick, I baked it anyway and it was deflated
Meant “what I did wrong”
I made this for my boyfriend’s birthday last week and we LOVED the recipe! How would I convert this to make a larger cake – say for an 8″ round pan? I’ve offered to make it for my nephew’s birthday this weekend now ;)
Hmm, maybe try multiplying the ingredients by four… it’s hard to estimate if that will be enough for the 8″ pan, but that would be my first guess.
Great portion to make for a single individual . Two thumbs up.
I have to leave a comment here since it’s been around 10 times I do this recipe.
Super easy, foolproof and so good! Moist, sweet and spiced perfectly.
Thanks for sharing it, it is my favorites go to when my husband and I crave somehing sweet at 8pm since its so fast to prepare.
Yeah I don’t know what I did mine has no liquid in it it’s very thick but I’m baking it off anyway
Baked these today… Wonderful recipe to satisfy our sweet tooth with overdoing it… Perfect for two old lovers of sweets…
Released them from the ramekins before frosting and they turned out beautiful..
Will make a double batch for card night with friends…
Thank you… :O)
Hi Beth,
Love the carrot cake for two, and make it all the time. Do you have a similar recipe for zucchini cake?
Thanks very much.
Unfortunately I don’t… yet. ;) I bet you could just replace the grated carrot with grated zucchini, though! Maybe press out the extra water first?
Could you tell what of vegetable oil did you use?
It’s just labeled “vegetable oil” on the bottle and I think it’s usually a blended mix of vegetable oils (probably mostly corn).
Looks so yummy…
My mom and I really like this recipe. She claims it taste just as good ad the ones we purchase at the bakery.
Hi Beth,
This looks awesome and I loooove anything with cream cheese frosting. This looks perfect since have a bunch of carrots that have just been chilling in the fridge for a while now. (Oops)
What is the reasoning for using the yolk only? Is it just too much egg for two cakes? I’d like to double the recipe and am wondering if I can just use one full egg.
Thanks!
Yep, I used the yolk only because with the whites it’s just too much egg/moisture. That being said, if you double the recipe and use the whole egg, it still may change the consistency some because the whites are protein and moisture, whereas the yolk has quite a bit of fat. So, I’m not quite sure how it will turn out with the whole egg used in a double recipe.
I thought I had everything on hand to make these, but it turned out we were out of carrots. (And I’d just gotten back from the store, so I wasn’t going back.) So, I subbed about half of a medium zucchini. SO GOOD.
EXCELLENT idea!! Bravo! :)
Made these for dessert last night. Soooo good and it was enough for 3 since I split mine with my daughter.
It’s so nice to see recipes for smaller servings. Usually, when I make things for me and my daughter, we have so many leftovers. This is great!
This recipe was awesome! My kids loved them and the clean up was minimal.Thanks :)
I love the idea of scaling down the recipe for two people! I like cake now and then, but between myself and my partner we won’t finish the whole cake so half of it will end up in the trash. The finished product looks delicious and I can taste the frosting on my lips just by looking at the pictures. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I didn’t have ramekins, so I used 4 silicone muffin cups and baked for 18 minutes (will probably cut it to 16 minutes next time), and they turned out great.
I’m really digging these desserts for two, thank you. I’d love a chocolate cake one :D
How about this one? https://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/02/chocolate-lava-cake-for-two-or-one/
This was pretty nice. I went half on the sugars and it was still nice and sweet. I wish there was a more exact measurement on the carrot because I think my “medium” carrot might have been too big :) I think I will try more cinnamon and less nutmeg next time as well. I was super impatient with the frosting and put it on too soon, but all in all it was a nice carrot cake. I will try this one again for sure!
I just made your recipe and the cake is AMAZING!!! It is moist. The spices and carrot are in perfect harmony. Just wow!!!! Thank you!
Can you sub butter for the oil?
It will change the texture slightly, but I think it will still be okay. Just be sure to melt the butter first.
Looks delicious..but that’s a lot of mixing for just two cakes. Why not just make a full batch and freeze the extra for later?
These look so cute! And I love carrot cake. Will try these, but may have to increase to five. There is five of us here, LOL.
definitely saved for that moment when the doctor will let me try my luck with gluten and sugar again XD carrot cake is best cake.
How much walnuts can I add to the carrot cake? Thanks, Beth!
A couple tablespoons, maybe? It’s flexible. :)
These small carrot cakes look perfect! They are going on the to do list.
The Old Fat Guy
Thank you so much for this! This is just what I was looking for. Hands down, you are amazing.
Wow Beth! This is an awesome recipe!
I know everyone is saying it – but it is fantastic that it just serves two. I am dreadful at down sizing cake recipes so I am so happy I found your recipe.
These would be so cute baked in the silicone mini Bundt cups I found at the dollar store. The recipe will probably make more than 2 because the molds are so small. Great for just a bite.
How would this convert for microwave (if at all)? That’s a lot of oven heat for just a little bit of cake for me! I’m completely addicted to mug cookies, and this would be right up the same “danger alley” if there were to be a microwave version.
So please don’t give (yes give give GIVE!) us a nuke version!!
You could probably use a toaster oven instead. That’s what I do when I make biscuits that I’ve frozen before hand. You’ll just have to watch them more closely since they’ll be a lot closer to the elements.
I wondered the same thing, and I bet it would work. Since these look so amazing, and my oven is out of order at the moment, I think I’ll just try it! :)
You might try it in a toaster oven if you have one.
These would be cute baked in those silicone mini Bundt cups I bought at the dollar store. Because they e quite small I think I might get more than two cakes out of the recipe.
Beth, you say bake for 30 minutes. What temperature?
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
DOH ! thanks Ande. I need to learn to read.
I have 3 egg whites in my frig from making a key lime pie which thankfully (the pie) went to a neighbor. If I make these carrot cakes, I’ll have enough egg whites to make your S’mores Macaron which have been on my “want to make list” since you posted them! And I’ve read that the process goes easier with older egg whites so I should be all set :)!
I LOVE YOU BETH
I made these yesterday and I loved them! I was wondering since people mentioned what to do with the extra egg white… Is it possible to come up with an angel food cake for two with the leftover whites, perhaps? :D
Excellent idea! :)
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perfect way to use up that lonely carrot ! Genius
Beth – You are my hero. This is all I ever want in life. I’m a carrot cake fanatic and having an entire sheet cake in my refrigerator is dangerous. Now, I can enjoy one serving with my boyfriend. :)
I’m with Erin on this one. I love carrot cake. I love the idea of adding shredded coconut (but just to mine, is it just me or is it true that all men hate coconut?!) And I’m going for the walnuts, because you should go big or go home. Serving for two. Perfect. Save me from myself.
…and the rating… YUM! 5 stars!
haha carrot cake for ONE! I ate both of them! :p
Mmmmmm. I LOVE carrot cake. The portions are perfect, so I can avoid wasting food. I’m looking forward to making Chicken Shawarma for dinner this week, as well as the carrot cake. :-)
Ohhhh nooooo. Carrot cake is one of my greatest weaknesses! I already made your brownie pots twice in the last 3 days (which were a big hit). Thanks for another recipe I can’t wait to try! I’ve always loved baking but didn’t consider myself much of a cook until I started following your blog. Now I cook almost all of my meals, and they’re almost all from Budget Bytes.
Yum! I’m going to treat myself to carrot cake and a face mask using the white from the egg :)
What do you suggest doing with the egg white leftover? I love this idea but I usually dislike wasting the egg white. Would it be ok to incorporate into the batter anyway?
Whenever I have egg whites from baking, I just scramble them in a pan with a little butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I call them albino scrambled eggs.
It would probably change the texture too much, but you could always save it for a quick egg sandwich or breakfast wrap later. Raw egg whites also freeze well.
I like using leftover egg whites to make a nice egg white omelet with arugula, baby spinach, feta cheese, salt, pepper, and a pinch each of basil and oregano. Pair that with a slice of toasted rye bread with butter, tomato and green onions (dash of salt and pepper again), and you have a lovely breakfast. Oh and some fruit on the side is also essential. Maybe throw in some bacon too ;)