Carrot Cake Mug Cake

This simple Carrot Cake Mug Cake with cream cheese frosting is ready in just 5 minutes! This is the best single-serve dessert that doesn’t require an oven!

Some nights you just need a little dessert for you and only you! This Carrot Cake Mug Cake is the easiest dessert to make if you want something elevated like a cake, but don’t want the fuss of making an entire cake from scratch!

Just like my biscoff mug cake and chocolate banana bread mug cake, this easy carrot cake in a mug is perfect when you want a single serving of dessert.

If you want a breakfast version of carrot cake, you must try my carrot cake baked oatmeal!

Why You Should Make This Carrot Mug Cake

• This is just like your favorite carrot cake with cream cheese frosting but in a mug!
• If you want a sweet treat but don’t have the time, this carrot cake mug cake is the perfect dessert. 
• This is a great single-serving dessert, but you can easily double it to make two carrot mug cakes!
• It’s so easy to make and just takes 5 minutes- No oven needed!

Recipe Ingredients

Here are some notes on a few ingredients- please see the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!

• Carrots: I recommend grating carrots instead of buying pre-grated carrots which tend to be too dry!
• Egg yolk: this is going to add moisture to our cake!
• Baking Powder: make sure your baking powder hasn’t expired, otherwise the carrot mug cake won’t rise in the microwave.
• Cinnamon: just a bit of ground cinnamon is going to give you that warm spiced carrot cake taste!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Grease your mug with butter or cooking spray and set aside.

Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk the melted butter with the sugar until smooth. Then add the milk, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon. Fold in the grated carrots.

Step 3: Pour the cake batter into your greased mug and microwave for 60-90 seconds until it is cooked through. Let it cool in the mug for 5 minutes. You could also flip the cake out onto a plate to cool if you’d prefer.

Step 4: While the carrot mug cake cools, make the cream cheese frosting by whisking the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth. If needed, add the milk. Top the cake with the icing and enjoy!

What do I do if my cream cheese isn’t soft enough for the icing?

Feel free to soften the cream cheese in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to make it easier to mix up the icing!

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure your mug is big enough for this mug cake recipe, otherwise it might overflow in the microwave!
• You also want to make sure your mug is microwave-safe. 
• Baking time can vary depending on your microwave, so it can take between 60-90 seconds. I like to check after 60 seconds.
• If you are making more than one mug cake, you will need more time in the microwave (or cook them one at a time).
• Let the carrot cake cool down before you add the cream cheese icing, otherwise the icing will melt! 
• Love raisins or nuts in your carrot cake? You can add 1 tablespoon of both raisins and/or pecans to the cake batter!

Storing & Freezing

I recommend eating this mug cake on the day of making. If you want to save for later, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and it should stay fresh for a day or two at room temperature.

You could take the cake out of the mug and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. I don’t recommend freezing the icing. To defrost, allow to sit at room temperature.

Want to try more cake recipes?

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