Hi Bold Bakers! WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: If you want a delicious carrot cake in minutes, look no further than my moist and flavorful Microwave Carrot Cake Bowl recipe. You only need a handful of ingredients, a few minutes, and one bowl to make an incredible dessert. Already have an account? When you want a delectable treat in minutes, you can always make one of my mug cake recipes but have you tried my Cake Bowls? You can make one big bowl of cake in minutes including a Microwave Banana Cake Bowl, Microwave Red Velvet Cake Bowl, and especially the Microwave Chocolate Lava Cake Bowl Recipe For Two. Since it’s springtime, I had to bring you a Carrot Cake Bowl! I’ve created the perfect warm and fluffy dessert with my 2-Minute Microwave Carrot Cake Bowl recipe. Just as the same suggests, this Carrot Cake can be made all in a bowl, takes a whopping 2 minutes in the microwave, and doesn’t contain any eggs. My Microwave Carrot Cake recipe is sweet and tangy heaven paired with my Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s simple to make as a snack or a quick dessert for a party so give it a go! Now if you’re looking for a whole Carrot Cake do not miss my Best-Ever Carrot Cake recipe.
Table Of Contents
What Is A Microwave Carrot Cake Bowl?
Carrot Cake is a dessert typically composed of flour, carrots, spices, sugar, eggs, raisins, chopped nuts, and vanilla extract. A popular pairing with this decadent dessert is cream cheese frosting. While the origin of Carrot Cake is disputed, it’s generally known to originate from England, Switzerland, or Denmark. There are several variations of Carrot Cake such as carrot mug cake, layered cakes, sheet cakes, cupcakes, muffins, and more. However, in this recipe, we are making a single cake omitting the eggs and using a microwave! It’s essentially a simplified version that’s faster to prepare and bake, but it tastes just as delicious or even better. Try out another one of my microwave carrot cakes: 3-Layer Carrot Cake Made in the Microwave!
Why Add Carrots To Cakes?
Carrots are the shining star of any Carrot Cake. After all – it’s in the name! But, there’s a reason why carrots have been incorporated into cakes. Carrots add a ton of moisture, texture, and sweetness to your cake batter. It also balances out the tangy cream cheese frosting without being too overpoweringly sweet. Fun fact: Back in World War II, when there were sugar rations, carrots were used to sweeten cakes.
Tools You Need To Make A Carrot Cake:
Measuring cups and spoons Medium, microwave-safe, 2-cup capacity soup bowl Fork Whisk Electric hand mixer Mixing bowl Offset spatula or spoon
Ingredients To Make A Carrot Cake
For The Carrot Cake:
Butter: Butter creates a light and tender texture in your moist Carrot Cake. Because butter contains around 80% milk fat and 20% water which will evaporate during baking to make cakes rise. Comparatively, oil is 100% fat so usually leads to a denser result. All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this cake and its 9-11% protein is perfect for binding ingredients together and yielding a soft instead of chewy cake. Dark brown sugar: Dark brown sugar not only creates a deeper, caramel-like flavor and color to your cake, but also adds moisture. If it’s hard to find, use my How to Make Brown Sugar recipe to make it at home. Baking powder: Baking powder gets activated by liquid to help your cake rise. Cinnamon: Highly aromatic, sweet, and warm, it’s perfect for a spiced cake. Whole milk: I like to use full-fat milk in my recipes for its rich flavor and creamy consistency. Carrot: Use fresh, finely grated or shredded carrots. Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract adds flavor and sweetness to your cake. Make Homemade Vanilla Extract from scratch!
For The Cream Cheese Frosting:
Cream cheese: Use softened, full-fat, brick-style cream cheese for the best result. Make my How to Make Cream Cheese Recipe so you never will run out! Spreadable cream cheese from a tub is ok but the frosting tends to be softer. Butter: Soften your butter properly for easier creaming: when you push the butter and it makes an indent, but your finger doesn’t easily squish right through. Over-softened butter can’t retain air so well hence will lead to a runny frosting. Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar will cream well with your wet ingredients. Try making your own Powdered Sugar! Vanilla extract: A touch will bring out warm vanilla flavors!
How To Make A Microwave Carrot Cake Bowl
Make The Carrot Cake: Make The Cream Cheese Frosting:
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
For those of you who need or prefer a gluten-free version of my Carrot Cake, substitute Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend, almond flour, oat flour or coconut flour for all-purpose flour. If you want an added baking challenge, try my Gluten Free Flour recipes! Check out my ‘Guide to the Best Gluten-Free Flours’ for more information. You can also try out my Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes with no refined sugars.
Can I Make Microwave Carrot Cake Ahead Of Time?
One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can easily make it ahead of time. Make the cake up to 8 hours before and leave it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake it off, pop it in the microwave and let cool before frosting.
How To Store Microwave Carrot Cake
Room temperature & fridge: You can store leftover Microwave Carrot Cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. In the meanwhile, keep any leftover cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Freezer: You can also freeze your carrot cake if you wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in a freezer-safe bag. For the icing, you can either freeze the cake with the frosting or frost it after thawing.
How many watts should my microwave be?
I cooked this cake in a 1200-watt microwave. However, every microwave is different, your cake may take more or less time, so watch for doneness.
How do I know if my microwave cake is done?
To check if your Microwave Carrot Cake is done, you can insert a toothpick or skewer into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, then it’s done. You can also lightly touch the surface of your cake, and if there’s a slight spring, then it’s ready.
Can I microwave this cake in a plastic container?
I recommend using a microwave-safe ceramic or glass bowl for this recipe because it’ll provide a sturdy base for you to bake your cake. However, if you have microwave-safe plastic containers on hand, you can use that as well. Note: Please do not cover your cake with plastic wrap or lids as they are not microwave-safe and are not necessary to cook your cake.
Why is my carrot cake dry? How can I avoid a dry carrot cake?
A good thick batter and monitored baking can contribute to a moist carrot cake.
A good thick batter: Make sure your batter is not dry in the first place. Flours in different places absorb liquid differently. Note to hold back some liquid by using up to 3/4 in one go and adjust it accordingly to get the same consistency as the recipe. Monitored baking: Make sure to cook your Microwave Carrot Cake in intervals. If you cook it all in one go, you’re likely to end up with a dry cake. If your microwave is on the stronger side, you can add more carrots or milk to add more moisture.
What should I do if I don’t have an electric hand mixer? Though using an electric hand mixer will make your job a lot easier, there’s nothing a little elbow grease can’t fix. You can use a whisk to combine your ingredients.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips:
If you want to make a single serving, halve the recipe and cook it in a microwave-safe mug. Feel free to also check out my 1-Minute Microwave Mug Cakes post! You can find more recipe instructions for a carrot cake mug cake recipe. If you like raisins, walnuts, or pecans in your carrot cake, you can add 2 tablespoons to the batter. You can top your Carrot Cake off with a dollop of whipped cream if you prefer.
Add some nutmeg to your cinnamon to create a deeper spiced flavor! It’s optional, but you can sprinkle in a pinch of salt to your cake batter to balance out the rest of your ingredients. Be sure to use very finely grated carrots or they will remain crunchy. A little freshly grated ginger (about ½ teaspoon) is an excellent addition to this cake. I cooked this cake in a 1200-watt microwave. Every microwave is different, hence your cake may take more or less time, depending on your microwave oven. This cake can be mixed up and put in the fridge for up to 8 hours before microwaving if you are getting them ready in advance.
Looking For More Carrot Cake Recipes? Check Out:
Best-Ever Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Ultra-Moist Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Best-Ever Cream Cheese Frosting Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Carrot Cake Sheet Cake Carrot Bundt Cake (With Cheesecake Filling)
And don’t miss more everyday baking recipes in my NEW Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook!
