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“sometimes a bite-size sweet delight is all you need”
Do you remember the last time you tasted rich-flavored and exquisitely moist carrot cake? Yes, memories like that make our mouth water, but who has the time to make a whole carrot cake anytime a craving kicks-in? It’s so impractical and what about our health and weight?
Leaving big cakes for birthdays and special occasions only, the perfect answer to all these worries is this little single-serving carrot cake in a mug! It takes less than 5 minutes, and barely any effort, yet it will satisfy your sweet tooth. Plus, you can’t overeat when you only have cake for one, right?
Aside from the practical reasons, I personally love making this single-serving carrot cake mug because the mug keeps it warm, adding to its moisture. The outer layer is a little crunchy, so when you add the cold vanilla icing, it becomes pure heaven for the taste buds, which is a little bit weird as I never thought I would say vanilla and carrots taste like heaven.
I know that when I first heard about a carrot cake it didn’t make any sense. Why would someone put carrots in a cake, what would that taste like? But, if you’ve ever made a carrot cake, then you know carrots make the dough incredibly soft and moist, unlike the drier brownie-dough, while the subtle flavor of the carrots is completely overpowered by the cinnamon, nutmeg, and the caramel scent of the brown sugar. And, here’s how to make it!
The only thing you’ll need for this recipe is a microwave-safe mug, a small mixing bowl for the icing (optional), and the ingredients listed below. The whole procedure is a piece of cake, or in this case – a mug of cake!
If you’re going to make the icing, then my suggestion is to start from there. It will take you like a minute or two to make it, but you can let it cool in the fridge while you make the carrot mug cake. This way when you’re ready to serve it, the cold icing will give a nice contrast to the warm cake.
Start by mixing in the milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer, or whisk it by hand until you get a creamy consistency. If you like the icing to be a little bit thicker and creamier, use more powdered sugar. Once you’re happy with the density of the icing, let it cool in the fridge.
The next step is to mix the ingredients for the mug cake. Use the mug directly, or take another small mixing bowl and whisk together the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Once the ingredients are well combined, stir in the wet ingredients – the milk, vanilla extract, and oil. Finally, add the grated carrot and mix the blend again. If you used a mixing bowl, transfer the mixture into the mug and place it in the microwave. I like to add a muffin liner for presentation, but you don’t have to. Let the cupcake cook for about 3 minutes on a low setting (30% power).
Once the little mug delight is ready, leave it at room temperature for another minute or two to cool down. Don’t give in to the temptation just yet! It’s a lot better when it’s not burning hot and when it’s covered with the delicious vanilla icing. So, after the carrot mug cake is a little bit chilled, pour the icing over and serve! Enjoy!
| Prep | Cooking time | Total | Servings |
| 2 minutes | 3 minutes | 5 minutes | 1 |
Ingredients
For the carrot cake:
- 1 small finely grated carrot
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional: coconut, almond, sunflower oil)
- 2 tbsp milk
(Optional) For the icing:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Take a small mixing bowl and combine all the ingredients for the icing – the milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir well until you get a creamy consistency, then place the mixture in the fridge.
- Take the mug and grease it with oil or butter.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice inside. Stir well until all the ingredients are combined.
- Add the vanilla extract, oil, and milk. Stir again until you get a smooth mixture.
- Fold in the carrot. Mix again.
- Place the mug into the microwave and cook on a low setting (30% power) for 3 minutes.
- When done, leave it at room temperature for 2-5 minutes, to cool.
- Before serving, pour the icing over the carrot cake and sprinkle some cinnamon.
- Serve and enjoy!
