Keto Carrot Cake For 2

Name: Keto Carrot Cake For 2
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup / 75g almond flour (or ground almonds); 2 tbsp powdered sweetener; 2 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp pumpkin spice; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 cup / 100g grated carrot (lightly packed); 1 egg; 2 tbsp / 28g butter, melted; 1 tbsp / 15ml heavy cream; 10 g / small handful walnuts, crushed; 2 tbsp full fat cream cheese; 1 tsp powdered sweetener (optional)

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This keto carrot cake recipe is so quick and easy to make! It is soft, delightfully moist and will fill your kitchen with the gorgeous aroma of warm spices. Top this carb carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and enjoy a delicious sugar free dessert that's ready in only 10 minutes!

A carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting on a plate with a spoon taking off a piece.

I love carrot cake. And I love my microwave. It has made my life SO MUCH EASIER. Heating stuff? Check. Defrosting stuff? Check. Mug cakes? Check, check, check!!

I did consider making a full-size sugar free carrot cake. But let's face it. Most of the time it's just a couple of people in the house, right? And what happens when you have a whole cake and only two people in the house?

Well, you eat the whole cake!

It might take a few days, but eventually, it'll be gone. And then you wish you had made this carrot mug cake for 2 instead.

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Why This Recipe Works
Ingredients
Instructions
Egg Free Carrot Mug Cake
Recipe FAQs
Storage
More Keto Mug Cake Recipes
Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

It is easy and quick. The great thing about this keto carrot cake is that you can tuck in ten minutes after thinking "Hey, I fancy a carrot cake!" Also, you don't need any fancy equipment. A bowl and a fork will do just fine.

Authentic flavor and texture. This cake tastes just like a classic carrot cake. It is rich and buttery, with lovely fall flavors.

Keto, gluten free and sugar free. One portion of cake contains only 6.4g net carbs.

Microwave or oven. If you don't have a microwave, make this cake in the oven or air fryer instead.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need for a super healthy microwave low carb carrot cake:

Carrot - finely grated. I used a box grater
Egg
Butter
Heavy cream
Almond flour - either super fine almond flour or ground almonds
Walnuts
Powdered Sweetener - I used powdered erythritol, but any powdered sweetener works, from monk fruit sweetener to xylitol, allulose or Swerve
Spices - cinnamon and pumpkin spice mix
Baking powder
Cream cheese (for the frosting)

Instructions

This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Dry ingredients in a white bowl and a spoon on the side.

STEP 1

Mix your dry ingredients - almond flour, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, baking powder, powdered sweetener and crushed walnut pieces.

The walnut pieces are optional, but work perfectly taste-wise. You could sub with hazelnuts. If you have time, dry-roast them in a pan until gently browned. This increases the flavour.

Hand holding a bowl with all ingredients for this recipe before mixing.

STEP 2

Add the wet ingredients - grated carrot, melted butter and heavy cream.

Carrot cake batter in a bowl with a fork.

STEP 3

Stir with a fork until combined. Your batter should be sticky but soft just like in the image above.

Cake batter filled in 2 ramekins on a white wooden surface.

STEP 4

Now you have 2 options. Either fill the carrot cake batter into two well-greased ramekins or microwaveable containers (you could even use cups - this is a mug cake, after all). Or use a larger pyrex bowl and make one larger carrot cake for sharing. I microwaved at 800W for 5 minutes.

STEP 5

Wait until the cake is slightly cooled, then turn upside down onto a plate and top with delicious cream cheese frosting. Alternatively, enjoy straight out of the ramekin or mug!

Cooking Methods

Microwave method: I recommend that you microwave the cake at 700-800W. This gives the carrot plenty of time to go nice and soft.

I have also found that if you microwave on high, the cake rises very quickly and might spill over the top of your ramekin. Trust me, you don't want to clean up that mess.

Oven method: If you do not have a microwave, bake the cake at 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit for around 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Check with a skewer for doneness.

Air Fryer: Bake at 160C or 320F for 15 minutes.

A single serve carrot cake turned out onto a plate decorated with cream cheese frosting, carrot shavings and crushed walnuts and a spoon.

Top Tips

#1 Measure with digital scales. It's always best if you can weigh your ingredients using a digital scale. You don't have to spend $$$ on one. Mine was cheap and still works perfectly several years on.

#2 If you use measuring cups, make sure you slightly pack the grated carrots.

#3 Use a cup or ramekin that is large enough. The narrower the vessel, the more the cake will rise. Don't fill the batter right to the top or it will overflow while cooking.

#4 Follow the recommendation of cooking at a lower power level!

Egg Free Carrot Mug Cake

You can make this carrot cake without egg. I discovered this by accident when I forgot to add the egg to one of my trial runs. If you choose to omit the egg, add an additional tablespoon of heavy cream to achieve a soft consistency.

The cake won't rise as much without an egg, and I don't recommend turning it out onto a plate (this would only work if the cake is fully cooled, but no guarantees there). But if you're happy to enjoy it straight from the ramekin, give it a go - I thought it tasted great.

In the image below you can see the "egg" version on the left and the cake without egg on the right. In case you're wondering about the colour of the left cake, the egg I used had a VERY orange yolk. I might also have had a heavy hand on the cinnamon for the right cake.

Two carrot cakes in ramekins, the left made with an egg and the right without egg.

Recipe FAQs

Which sweetener is best?

I used powdered erythritol to sweeten my keto carrot cake. There are also many blends out there. Stevia or monk fruit blends are especially popular.
Xylitol or allulose will also work, just make sure you powder it first for a smoother result, especially for the cream cheese frosting.

Can I use coconut flour instead?

Yes. Since coconut flour absorbs more liquid than almond flour, you'll need only ⅓ the amount: Use around 30 grams / ¼ cup of coconut flour.

Can I scale the recipe to make a larger cake?

Yes. Readers have tripled and quadrupled the recipe to make a full-sized cake. Bake in the oven for 35-50 minutes depending on size and cake pan (flatter cakes bake faster than taller ones).