3 Minute Carrot Cake in a Mug
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This Carrot Cake in a Mug recipe is a 3-minute microwave mug cake dessert perfect for the season. Sweet, delicious with warm spices, and oh-so-easy!
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Unlike its time-honored favorite inspiration (the oven-baked carrot cake), our recipe is made incredibly quick and easy in the microwave. And absolutely satisfies those cravings!
It’s so delicious that you will want to make it soon!
Featured Reviews
“I made a carrot mug cake in just three minutes that was so easy, moist and delicious.”
ANGELA PATRONE at Express.co.uk
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A Carrot Cake in a Mug Recipe
Are you a fan of mug cakes? If so, we’re kindred spirits.
I love mug cakes. They’re such a treat after a long day. Even for those of us who cook all day.
Mug cakes are cozy, special, and a little indulgent. They’re cakes for one or two with a few simple ingredients.
As spring days grow longer, and the grass begins to green… I’m still in the mood for cozy mug cakes.
And if they can have spring-type flavors, all the better. Like our 2-Minute Strawberry Mug Cake, this Carrot Cake Mug Cake is made for a changing season.
Plus, the ingredients are so simple that you likely already have them on hand.
Have I convinced you yet?
If not, the simple cream cheese frosting just might. Oh yum!
Or, if cream cheese isn’t your thing, try a simple sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar or a quick dollop of whipped cream topped with chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans).
However you choose to top your mug cake, it’s an incredible treat regardless of your choice.
Ingredients for Carrot Mug Cake
Here are the simple ingredients for this oh-so-easy Carrot Cake Mug Cake recipe.
Dry Ingredients: Gather all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract. If desired, you could also add a pinch of nutmeg and toss in a few raisins and or chopped nuts.
Additional Wet Ingredients: You will also need 1½ tablespoons of butter, milk, and finely shredded carrot. This mug does not use an egg.
How to Make Carrot Mug Cake
Add all the ingredients to a small bowl or a microwave-safe mug. Stir or whisk until the batter is smooth. Fold in the shredded carrots.
Microwave the mug cake for 1 to 1½ minutes. In my microwave, it’s best at 1 minute 15 seconds. Begin checking at 1 minute, though. The cake should look set, but be careful not to over-microwave.
Let cool before topping with whipped cream, cream cheese frosting, or powdered sugar.
More Mug Cake Recipes
- 2 Minute Gingerbread Cake in a Mug
- 2 Minute Chocolate Chip Banana Mug Cake
- Chocolate Brownie Nutella Mug Cake: Microwave Recipe
- 3 Minute Microwave Apple Crisp in a Mug
- Two-Minute Bread Pudding in a Mug with Browned Butter Vanilla Sauce
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3 Minute Carrot Cake in a Mug Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons finely shredded carrot (about 28.3g)
Instructions
- In a small bowl or a microwave-safe mug, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, milk, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir or whisk to combine the ingredients until smooth. Fold in the shredded carrots.
- Microwave the mug cake for 1 to 1½ minutes. In my microwave, it’s best at 1 minute 15 seconds. Begin checking at 1 minute though. The cake should look set but be careful not to over-microwave.
- Let cool before topping with whipped cream, cream cheese glaze or simply powdered sugar.
Video
Notes
- Add-ins: Readers have also enjoyed adding a small amount of raisins and chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans. You could also add a small pinch of nutmeg if desired.
- Topping Ideas: If you want a topping for your mug cake, whipped cream, confectioners’ sugar, or an easy cream cheese frosting (recipe below) is delicious!
Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Can you recommend what to substitute for the butter to make it fat-free?
That’s a great question. Unsweetened applesauce is a great fat free substitution for butter, but mashed bananas or or Greek yogurt also works. I might consider very lightly spraying the mug with nonstick cooking spray.
This is super yummy! Followed recipe, added some nuts & it turned our perfectly!
1 min 15 seconds. Delicious, not overly sweet either! Plenty for two. I’m shocked at how flavorful and moist it is! Keeper!
Hi Angel! Thank you so much for trying the recipe. I’m thrilled you enjoyed it (and I agree — there is plenty for 2!).
really good
If all the ingredients were misé en place, it MIGHT take just three minutes. Could you also include the mise time, not just prep time & cook time? It would also be nice to have cooling time included. So many recipes say they take 10 minutes, but it is 10 to gather & measure everything, 10 to put them all together, & then 6 hours to cook it, a day to retard it, three weeks to cure it, an hour to cool it, whatever, & it is not included.
That’s a great point, but hard to accurately reflect a set-up time. I tend to do things quickly because I’m doing it all of the time. I try to account for that and add minutes in the “prep” section of the recipe card. But I completely agree that it’s important to understand the time commitment needed for certain recipes. Thank you for your suggestion!
Could you add a Tbs of chopped walnuts?
Hi Dorothy! Yes, you can definitely add walnuts. That would be delicious!
Can you double the recipe and would that mean double the time to cook?
Hi Jeanne– you can definitely double the recipe! In fact, some people microwave a double portion in a small microwave save bowl (like a bowl cake). The amount of time depends on your microwave and the depth of the container, but it shouldn’t be double the time. If it’s a shallow container, I would begin checking at about 1 1/2 minutes.
My husband is diabetic. How can I substitute the sugar. Im new at this!
Hi Neysha! I don’t yet have any one diagnosed with diabetes in my family but I do know that eating and especially desserts are difficult. Eatingwell.com has a lot of diabetic recipe resources along with advice on substituting sugar for diabetic-friendly sweeteners. This link is especially helpful on how to convert dessert recipes: https://www.eatingwell.com/article/288098/desserts-and-sweets-for-diabetics/. You will be a pro at this soon!
I made this tonight because I was craving carrot cake from a local bakery and didn’t want to pay the astronomical door dash fees. Doubled the recipe to make one for my hubby and he keeps saying he can’t believe I pulled this together so fast and how delicious it is. “Insanely good” keeps coming out his mouth. Topped with cream cheese frosting. 10/10!!
Hi Amanda! I can’t tell you how happy that makes me! Thank you so much for trying it… and making one for hubby too!
I added nuts and substituted pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon. The cake was moist and so flavorful!
This mug cake was really good! I used a mixture of almond flour and all-purpose and halved the amount of sugar. It turned out great! 😀
Hi Alice! Thank you so much for trying this with a mix of almond and all-purpose flour– AND letting me know how it worked! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I wonder what the measurements would be like if you used about 500g of carrots?
Wow! I just checked my conversion chart and it says 500g is about 5 cups of grated carrots. Not having that many on hand, I can’t confirm. That would be one large mug cake :)!
Just made it and just perfect with my morning coffee. I didn’t add any toppng.The 2tbs of brown sugar is perfect. And a note to Stephanie it would be 28.3 grams of shredded carrot.
Hi Athena! I can’t believe I never thought about having it with morning coffee– that will be tomorrow’s breakfast. Thank you also for the update on ingredient amounts… I’ll get the shredded carrot measurements into the card this morning. Thank you for trying it and letting me know how it worked for you!
heyy i was wondering if this would work if we used white sugar instead?
Absolutely! The brown sugar gives the mug cake a richer flavor but white sugar works equally well.
Hi I like your white mugs with the leaves, where did you get them?
I love these too. I had these on my wedding registry years ago but are still enjoying them. The pattern is Mikasa, English Countryside. I’ve been able to find missing pieces from the set at Replacements.com.
Better than store bought in my opinion
There is no egg in this recipe?
Hi Suzanne, I’ve only ever made this recipe without an egg and have always enjoyed it.
Okay. Thank you. I’ll try it.:)
Really cool cake, I passed my tech class with this!
That is awesome! Congratulations :)!
How many sugar needed? Not in the ingredients list.
Hi Vera, the ingredient measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. They are hard to find sometimes. You will need 3 tablespoons of brown sugar.
Is it 2T of brown sugar or 3T?
It’s 2 tablespoons brown sugar.
The recipe above says 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar. Should it be 2 or 3 tablespoons?
Hi Chris, I prefer 2 tablespoons!
Make this with the cream cheese frosting! You won’t regret it! The key to mug cakes is not over cooking them
This is so easy and takes no time at all. I followed the recipe- perfect! Thank you!
Really easy, and worked perfectly. Definitely making this again!
We made the Carrot Cake in a Mug tonight. It was so good. We really enjoyed it. This won’t be the last time we make it. Thank you for the recipe.
I so glad you liked it. We love it too!