Carrot Cake (for two)

$1.30 recipe / $0.65 serving
by Beth - Budget Bytes
4.59 from 29 votes
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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.

Top view of Carrot Cake for Two

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.

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Carrot Cake (for two)

4.59 from 29 votes
Make just enough carrot cake to make you and a loved one happy. No leftovers to “accidentally” indulge in!
Servings 2
Prep 30 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 1 hour

Ingredients

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
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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

If you don’t have small ramekins, these can be baked in a muffin tin.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 457.7kcalCarbohydrates: 48.05gProtein: 6.55gFat: 27.55gSodium: 538mgFiber: 1.8g
Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
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Top view of one cup of Carrot Cake with a spoon

How to Make Carrot Cake for Two – Step by Step Photos

Dry Ingredients in mixing bowl

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).

Wet Ingredients in separate mixing bowl with fork

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.

Dry ingredients mixed with wet ingredients in mixing bowl

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.

Two small ramekins filled with cake mixture

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.

Icing ingredients in mixing bowl

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. 

Mixed Icing in mixing bowl

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.

Two Baked Carrot Cakes in mini red ramekins

Ta-da! Now let these cool before adding the icing (or else it will melt and slide off).

Two carrot cakes with bowl of icing in background, one cake iced

Once the cakes are no longer hot-hot (a little warm is okay), slather that delicious icing over top. Oh my.

Top view of Carrot Cake for Two (two ramekins, one with spoon scooping a bite out)

And enjoy.

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Comments

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  1. 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!

  2. 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!

  3. 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!

  4. 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!