Small Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

This incredibly easy Small Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting is a perfect replica of my mom’s potluck favorite.

I’ve mentioned on the blog before that we weren’t huge bakers in my house growing up, BUT, my mom did have a few really good go-to recipes in her arsenal that she brought out for special occasions.

One of those recipes was (and still is) her carrot cake. If she gets asked to bring a dessert to a potluck, I guarantee you, that’s what she’s going to bring. And when she does, at least five people will tell her it’s the best carrot cake they’ve ever eaten.

Close up overhead image of small carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top. - 1

And they’re not wrong. Her carrot cake is a pretty magnificent thing. You bake it in a 9×13-inch pan, so it’s huge and basically perfect. It’s soft and fluffy, with just the right level of spice, and the entire thing is just smothered in a killer cream cheese frosting . (Update: so many people have emailed me asking for her recipe, I put it on the blog. You can find her easy carrot cake here. )

With spring nearly here and Easter just around the corner, I thought today would be a good day to share my mini version on the blog, so here we go.

This is a direct replica of my mom’s cake, so it’s everything described above, plus, it’s a small carrot cake, so you don’t need the excuse of a party to whip it up. And look how cute and tiny it is!!

This cake will serve four very generously or make six smaller servings. Make it over the weekend for you and someone special, or if you have a couple of good lunch buddies at work, I totally recommend baking it and surprising everyone at lunch. If you bake it in a pyrex dish , you can even just snap on a lid and go.

Ingredient Notes

Loosely packed grated peeled carrots: To grate your carrots, use the large holes of a box grater and then loosely pile them into your measuring cup for measuring.
Allspice: This recipe uses allspice, but not all carrot cake recipes do, and some people don’t enjoy the flavor. You can omit the allspice if you don’t have/like it or cut the amount in half.
Softened cream cheese: My go-to cream cheese brand for baking and frosting is Philadelphia cream cheese . Make sure to allow enough time for your cream cheese to soften at room temperature. Cream cheese that’s too cold will leave cream cheese lumps in your frosting.
Walnuts for topping: Nuts are optional. I’m not a fan of nuts anywhere near my carrot cake so these went straight into the garbage post photo shoot. If you like nuts, great, cover your cake in them and enjoy that crunch. If you don’t, skip them! 😉

Picture of slice of small white carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on a white plate. - 2

Picture of slice of small white carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on a white plate. - 3

How to Make a Small Carrot Cake

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a small bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, vegetable oil, and egg until well combined. Stir in flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold in grated carrots. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place cake (in pan) on a cooling rack, and cool completely before frosting, about 45 minutes.

I don’t have a 7×5-inch baking dish. What else can I use?

You can also bake this in a 6-inch round or square cake pan.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes. If you’d like to double the recipe, you can make a 2-layer 6-inch cake or bake it in an 8×8-inch pan, and extend the baking time as needed. To double the recipe ingredients, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.

If you’d like to make an extra-large version, go make my Mom’s Carrot Cake , which is this recipe but baked in a 9×13-inch pan.

Does carrot cake need to be stored in the refrigerator?

Yes. Because of the cream cheese frosting, this cake should be stored in the refrigerator. Unfrosted carrot cake, however, can be stored at room temperature.

Photo of small carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in a white dish. - 4

Photo of small carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in a white dish. - 5

More Small Cake Recipes

Small Chocolate Cake
Small Red Velvet Cake
Small Banana Cake
Small Lemon Pound Cake
Small Pumpkin Cake

Recipe Notes

This recipe has been updated to switch the baking soda out with baking powder, which creates a more stable cake and eliminates the slightly metallic flavor that some people sensitive to the taste of baking soda were experiencing. If you loved the old version, no problem! Simply continue to use the same amount of baking soda where the recipe now calls for baking powder.

Photo of small carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in a white dish. - 6

Ingredients

Special Equipment

▢ 7x5-inch Baking Dish

Carrot Cake

▢ ½ cup ( 60g ) all-purpose flour
▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
▢ ½ teaspoon allspice
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
▢ ½ cup ( 100g ) granulated sugar
▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil
▢ 1 large egg
▢ ⅔ cup loosely packed grated peeled carrots

Frosting

▢ 2 ounces cream cheese softened
▢ 4 tablespoons ( 2oz ) unsalted butter softened
▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ ⅔ cup ( 80g ) powdered sugar sifted
▢ Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease your baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, vegetable oil, and egg until well combined. Stir in flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold in grated carrots. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place cake (in pan) on a cooling rack, and cool completely before frosting, about 45 minutes.

Frosting

Whisk together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add sifted powdered sugar and salt and whisk until well-combined and fluffy. Spread frosting over the cake. Chilling before serving is optional but recommended.
Serve cake in the baking dish and enjoy!

Notes

These beef ramen noodles cook up fast and easy with tender slices of beef and broccoli florets in a quick garlic and ginger sauce.

I have another comfort food recipe for you today, one of my personal favorites, beef ramen noodles.

There’s just something about sitting down with a giant bowl of ramen noodles and beef that is so cozy and satisfying.

Best of all, this dish is super easy, and once you have your ingredients assembled, it comes together FAST.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps protect the meat while cooking, ensuring that it stays tender, and helps the sauce stick to the meat. If you don’t have cornstarch, you can skip it and just marinate the meat with soy sauce alone, but I recommend picking some up the next time you’re at the store. It’s a good ingredient to keep on hand.
Top sirloin: I like top sirloin for this recipe because it cooks up nice and tender and has a fantastic beefy flavor. You could also use flap meat or flank steak.
Instant ramen: Cheap ramen packets work perfectly in this recipe. Any flavor will do since you’ll be discarding the flavor packets.
Low-sodium soy sauce and beef broth: I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce and beef broth in this dish or it comes out quite salty. I have made it with regular soy sauce and broth, but with full-salt ingredients, it will definitely be too salty for some people.
Sesame oil: I love the flavor boost toasted sesame oil gives this dish, but untoasted sesame oil works fine. You can also use olive oil.
Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar (AKA rice wine vinegar) adds a little acidic kick to the ramen. If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can replace it with the same amount of apple cider vinegar or half the amount of white distilled vinegar (white distilled vinegar has a much stronger flavor so you don’t need as much).
Fresh ginger: The flavor of fresh ginger is so good in this dish, use it if you can, but there are measurements in the recipe card for using ground ginger instead.

Some Quick Ginger Tips & Tricks

Don’t feel like peeling your ginger? Skip it. You really don’t need to peel ginger for most dishes. Just grate away, peel and all.
Store extra ginger in your freezer. Ginger freezes extremely well. Pop it in a freezer bag and toss it in your freezer. When you need more ginger, you can grate it right from frozen. No need to defrost.
Not sure how to grate ginger? It’s really simple, you just need a microplane or the small holes of a box grater or hand-held grater . Check out this video to watch it being done.

How To Make Beef Ramen Noodles

Collage photo of beef for beef ramen being prepared. - 10

Collage photo of beef for beef ramen being prepared. - 11

Prep the meat: Before you prep any of the rest of your ingredients, slice your meat across the grain into 1/4-inch strips. (Don’t know how or why to slice meat across the grain? Check out this article. ) Toss them with a combination of soy sauce and cornstarch, and set aside for a short marinade.
Prep the rest of your ingredients: It’s always smart to prep your ingredients in advance when cooking, but especially when making quick-cooking stir frys like this. You won’t have time to run around assembling ingredients once the cooking starts, so pull out and prepare all the rest of your ingredients and line them up in order of use before you start cooking. It will make the whole process go much more smoothly.
Cook the beef: Once your ingredients are assembled, cook the beef in hot oil. This is all the cooking the beef will get, so make sure it’s cooked to your preferred level of doneness and then transfer it to a large bowl or plate.

Collage photo of beef ramen being cooked. - 12

Collage photo of beef ramen being cooked. - 13

Make the sauce: Give the pan just a minute to cool and then add sesame oil and heat over medium heat. Cook garlic and ginger until they just begin to turn golden and then add red pepper flakes. Add the rest of your sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is reduced by about a third.
Cook broccoli: Add broccoli to the sauce, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Give the broccoli a stir, replace the cover, and continue to cook until the broccoli is fork-tender. Add beef and toss to coat.
Cook the ramen: While the broccoli cooks, cook ramen according to package instructions. Drain and add ramen to the pan with the broccoli and beef. Toss until the noodles are well-coated with sauce.
Serve and enjoy: Serve topped with sliced green onions if desired, and enjoy!

Tongs picking up beef ramen noodles from a skillet. - 14

Tongs picking up beef ramen noodles from a skillet. - 15

Where can I buy beef ramen noodles?

You should be able to find instant ramen noodles in the soup aisle at your grocery store. If you’ve never bought packaged ramen before, they usually come in brightly colored rectangular plastic packages.

Is this authentic ramen?

Not even slightly. Japanese ramen is a soup and completely different dish. This recipe just uses ramen noodles as an ingredient.

Beef ramen noodles in a white bowl. - 16

Beef ramen noodles in a white bowl. - 17

Can I freeze beef ramen noodles?

I don’t recommend it. Broccoli and ramen don’t freeze well and become mushy when defrosted and reheated.

If you really want to make this dish for the freezer, just cook the beef and the sauce and freeze them together. When you’re ready to serve the ramen, reheat and then toss the beef and sauce with steamed broccoli and freshly made ramen noodles.

More Asian-inspired Recipes

Thick and Sweet Teriyaki Sauce
Beef Teriyaki
Easy Baked Chicken Katsu with Pineapple Katsu Sauce

More Comfort Food Faves

Bacon Potato Soup
Creamy Chicken Pasta
Homemade Carnitas
Easy Lasagna

Ingredients

▢ ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
▢ 1 pound top sirloin steak sliced ¼-inch across the grain
▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
▢ 1 tablespoon sesame oil preferably toasted*
▢ 3 garlic cloves crushed or minced
▢ 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
▢ Pinch of red pepper flakes
▢ 1 cup low-sodium beef broth *
▢ 2 tablespoons ( 25g ) brown sugar
▢ 2 tablespoons rice vinegar optional*
▢ 12 ounces broccoli cut into florets
▢ 3 3-ounce packages instant ramen noodles discard flavoring packet
▢ 2 green onions sliced, optional for topping

Instructions

Whisk together 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and the cornstarch. Pour over sliced beef and toss to coat. Set aside.
Prepare and assemble the rest of your ingredients before you begin cooking.
Set a medium pot of water on to boil for the ramen.
While the ramen water heats up, in a large skillet with a lid, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sirloin and let it cook undisturbed until the first side is well browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until the steak reaches your desired level of doneness, about 1 to 2 minutes (this is all the cooking it will get).
Transfer meat and any drippings to a bowl and set aside.
Allow the pan to cool for just a minute and then add the sesame oil. Heat over medium heat and add garlic and ginger. Cook until the garlic is just beginning to turn golden and aromatic. Add red pepper flakes and cook for 30 more seconds.
Add the broth, remaining ¼ cup of soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar, and use a spatula to scrape any cooked-on bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by about a third, around 3 to 6 minutes.
Add broccoli, place lid on the skillet, and cook for two minutes. Give the broccoli a stir, replace the lid, and continue to cook until it reaches your preferred level of doneness, 1 to 3 minutes more.
While the broccoli cooks, add ramen to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
Stir cooked beef and any juices in the bowl into the broccoli and sauce. Add cooked and drained ramen noodles and toss until the noodles are well-coated with sauce.
Serve topped with sliced green onions if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

This homemade Chai Tea Latte is incredibly simple to make at home. It’s warming, the perfect level of sweet, and you probably have all the ingredients in your cupboard already.

Hey, friends. I’ve posted a lot of Starbucks-copycat/inspired recipes on Baking Mischief over the years, BUT until now they’ve mostly been coffee-based (like my Mocha , Caramel Macchiato , Caramel Latte , etc.). Well no more.

Tea lovers, get hyped, today’s recipe is for you: Chai Tea Latte.

Incredibly Easy Chai Tea Latte

This homemade chai latte is beyond simple to make at home. It’s warming, the perfect level of sweet, and if you’re a chai tea drinker, you probably have the ingredients in your cupboard already.

Ingredients

For your latte, all you will need are:

Chai tea bag: Any brand will work, caffeinated or decaf.
Sugar: I call for granulated sugar in the recipe, but you can also use brown sugar or your favorite artificial sweetener.
Milk: By default, Starbucks uses 2% milk in their drinks, but you can use any milk you’d like including non-dairy milks. The higher fat your milk, the creamier your drink will be.

Collage photo of frothed milk being poured into a chai tea latte. - 20

Collage photo of frothed milk being poured into a chai tea latte. - 21

How to Make a Chai Tea Latte

To make a chai latte, you’ll make a quick chai concentrate, in this case, a very strongly brewed 1/4 cup of tea with sugar.
Next, foam milk on the stove, either by whisking vigorously or using a milk frother, and then just pour the steamed milk over the chai concentrate. Serve and enjoy!

That’s it. Super easy, super quick, super good.

What does a chai tea latte taste like?

I think Starbucks’ chai latte actually tastes a lot like their pumpkin spice latte minus the slight bitterness the espresso gives it (there is no coffee in a chai latte).

This homemade version is very much the same. You have the spicy, warming chai flavor, lightly sweetened, and mellowed out by the steamed milk. Starbucks uses 2% milk by default, but if you like a richer drink, you can use whole milk or even add a splash of half and half or heavy cream .

Is there caffeine in a chai latte?

Yes. Chai tea is naturally caffeinated so if you use regular chai, your latte will have caffeine. If you want a decaf version, use decaf chai tea bags.

Can I make this an iced chai tea latte?

Yes! Go check out my iced chai latte post for instructions on how to make this recipe iced.

More Starbucks Coffee Drinks

White Chocolate Mocha
Iced Mocha Recipe
Iced White Chocolate Mocha
Dulce de Leche Latte
Salted Caramel Mocha
London Fog Latte

Recipe Notes

If you make a lot of lattes at home and enjoy really foamy milk, I recommend purchasing a handheld milk foamer. They are pretty inexpensive (typically $10-$20), work well, and are just fun to use. 😉 I own the PowerLix MilkPro Frother , and I’ve been really happy with it.
This recipe makes a 1-cup (8-ounce) latte. If you want to fill an oversized cup, 1½ or double the recipe.

Ingredients

▢ ¼ cup filtered water
▢ 1 chai tea bag
▢ 2 teaspoons ( 8g ) granulated sugar *
▢ ¾ cup milk any percentage
▢ Cinnamon optional for topping

Instructions

In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Pour into an 8-ounce mug and steep tea bag for 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bag. Stir in sugar.
While your tea steeps, pour milk into the pot and heat over medium heat until milk begins to steam (do not bring to a boil) whisk vigorously until foamy or use a handheld milk frother to froth milk.
Pour most of the milk into the tea concentrate, stirring to combine before adding in the last of the milk and foam, sprinkle with cinnamon if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

This incredibly easy Small Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting is a perfect replica of my mom’s potluck favorite.

Close up overhead image of small carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top. - 25

With spring nearly here and Easter just around the corner, I thought today would be a good day to share my mini version on the blog, so here we go.

Ingredient Notes

Loosely packed grated peeled carrots: To grate your carrots, use the large holes of a box grater and then loosely pile them into your measuring cup for measuring.
Allspice: This recipe uses allspice, but not all carrot cake recipes do, and some people don’t enjoy the flavor. You can omit the allspice if you don’t have/like it or cut the amount in half.
Softened cream cheese: My go-to cream cheese brand for baking and frosting is Philadelphia cream cheese . Make sure to allow enough time for your cream cheese to soften at room temperature. Cream cheese that’s too cold will leave cream cheese lumps in your frosting.
Walnuts for topping: Nuts are optional. I’m not a fan of nuts anywhere near my carrot cake so these went straight into the garbage post photo shoot. If you like nuts, great, cover your cake in them and enjoy that crunch. If you don’t, skip them! 😉

Picture of slice of small white carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on a white plate. - 26

How to Make a Small Carrot Cake

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a small bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, vegetable oil, and egg until well combined. Stir in flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold in grated carrots. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place cake (in pan) on a cooling rack, and cool completely before frosting, about 45 minutes.