One Layer High Altitude Mini Carrot Cake
An incredibly moist mini carrot cake, frosted with spiced brown butter cream cheese frosting, that's just big enough for a few people.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Electric Mixer (Stand or Hand-Held)
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup carrots, peeled and finely grated (2 1/4 ounces)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup whole buttermilk, room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Frosting
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray the bottom of one 6-inch cake pan with non-stick baking spray.TIP: You can also bake the batter in an 8-inch round cake pan or 8-inch square baking dish. The cake will bake more quickly in the 8-inch pans, so start checking for doneness after about 20 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, grated carrots, oil, buttermilk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, spices and pecans.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk for 10-15 seconds until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the center oven rack for about 30-35 minutes, until the top springs back when gently touched, and a sharp knife or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it.The cake will be slightly cracked on top, with a deep brown golden crust. The crust will seem a bit crisp at first, but will soften as the cake cools, especially once you add the frosting.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the side of the pan and turn the cake out onto a cooling rack. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until nutty brown solids form on the bottom of the pan. Immediately scrape the butter and the browned bits into a mixing bowl. Let cool at room temperature for about an hour while the cake cools, until the butter starts to solidify again.
- To the browned butter, add the cream cheese, salt, vanilla bean paste and spices. Use an electric mixer to beat for 2 minutes, until well combined and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar, and beat for several more minutes until fluffy.Note: This frosting recipe makes a softer frosting, that isn't firm enough for stacking a layered cake. For a thicker frosting that can hold up to stacking layers, you need to add more powdered sugar.
- Frost the cooled cake with the frosting, and serve.
Notes
Leftover cake should be kept refrigerated, in an airtight container or cake carrier, for up to 3 days. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/