This 5-Minute Carrot Mug Cake is a quick and easy recipe you can make in the microwave with very little effort. It’s moist and delicious, and the cream cheese frosting on top makes it taste just like a classic carrot cake
This recipe is part of my “Midnight Mug Cake” series, perfect for anyone with late-night sweet cravings who wants a quick and easy treat.
TIPS TO MAKE THE PERFECT CARROT MUG CAKE
Before we dive into the recipe, here are my best tips to help you perfect this carrot mug cake:
- CHOOSE THE RIGHT KIND OF MUG: Use a microwave-safe mug with a capacity of around 10–12 ounces. The cake won’t fill the entire mug, but it can rise a lot in the microwave. Using a large enough mug will prevent the batter from spilling over.
- START WITH THE WET INGREDIENTS: Put the wet ingredients into the mug first. This makes it easier to mix everything well. If you start with the dry ingredients, you might get clumps of flour in the corners that are hard to mix.
- SIFT THE DRY INGREDIENTS: Since we’re just putting everything into the mug, I recommend sifting the dry ingredients first to reduce any lumps.
- ADJUST THE SWEETNESS TO YOUR PREFERENCE: I find that 2 tablespoons of sugar make a mildly sweet cake, but you can add more or less depending on your taste.
- “BAKE” FOR THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME: For me, this cake takes about 90 seconds to make in a 12-ounce glass mug. But with microwave cakes, the time can vary because different microwaves have different power settings, and the size of your mug also matters. This cake can take anywhere from 60 to 90 seconds (maybe even longer). You have to judge based on how the cake looks. I start checking around 75 seconds later. If I see wet batter, it needs a few more seconds. If there’s no wet batter and the cake springs back when lightly poked, it’s ready. You can also adjust the timing based on the texture you prefer. Cooking it longer will make the cake more dry and spongy, while cooking it for a shorter time will make it more moist and dense.
5 MINUTE CARROT MUG CAKE RECIPE
A delicious 5-minute carrot mug cake made in the microwave with little effort, served with a yummy cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Carrot mug cake:
- 3 tbsp. milk
- 1.5 tbsp. oil
- ½ tbsp. vanilla
- 4 tbsp. all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- ⅓ tbsp. baking powder
- ¼ tbsp. cinnamon
- ⅛ tbsp. salt
- ¼ cup freshly grated carrots
Cream cheese frosting:
- 1 tbsp. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tbsp. heavy cream
- 1 tbsp. powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a micro wave-safe mug (about 10-12 ounces), add the milk, oil, and vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Sift in the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Then, mix with a spoon or fork until the dry ingredients are fully combined.
- Lastly, add the grated carrots and mix until combined.
- Micro wave for about 60-90 seconds until the cake is cooked through (cooking time may vary; see notes).
- Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes.
- Mix the cream cheese, heavy cream, and powdered sugar until they form a creamy frosting.
- Once your cake has cooled down, spread the cream cheese frosting on top. Then, it's ready to serve and enjoy!
Notes
- How long your mug cake needs to cook can change based on your microwave and mug size. I recommend checking it after about 60 seconds to see if there’s still any uncooked batter. If there is, pop it back in for another 10–20 seconds. If there’s no wet batter, gently press the cake; if it bounces back, it’s ready! Try not to wait too long between microwaving, or the cake might collapse and get dense.
- Please read the tips above for the best results.