Double Chocolate Nutella Carrot Cake Cups with Malted Cream Cheese Frosting.
Make Double Chocolate Nutella Carrot Cake Cups with Malted Cream Cheese Frosting for a gooey, chocolatey dessert that dazzles.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee
- 2 eggs (at room temperature*)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted (may sub canola oil))
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 16 teaspoons nutella (about 1/3 cup)
- milk chocolate eggs (toasted coconut and or crushed Oreo's, for decorating)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons malt powder
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat and prepare the pots
Preheat the oven (350°F) and choose your vessel: for the visual outcome here I recommend the charming small unglazed terracotta pots. Line each pot with a little parchment cone so the cakes lift out easily, or use paper liners if you prefer. Arrange 10–12 pots on the painted white surface so they sit in a tidy array; this is the physical geometry that will carry through to the finished presentation.
Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl sift together the all-purpose flour and unsweetened cocoa powder, then stir in the light brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and instant coffee until evenly blended and aromatic. Keep this dry mix nearby on the white surface in a shallow bowl so you can see the powdery, velvety cocoa and the warm brown sugar texture—this is the foundation of the cake’s dark, moist crumb.
Step 3: Whisk wet ingredients and make the batter
In a mixing bowl beat the room-temperature eggs with the melted coconut oil, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth and slightly glossy. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry mix until there are no streaks of flour; then fold in the shredded carrots and mini chocolate chips so you have a thick, chunky, glossy chocolate batter flecked with orange carrot threads and little pockets of chocolate. Spoon or ladle the batter into each prepared terracotta pot, filling each about three-quarters full so there’s room for the cakes to rise.
Step 4: Bake and cool
Bake the filled terracotta pots until a toothpick comes out clean (about 20–25 minutes, depending on pot size) and the tops feel springy to the touch. Transfer the pots to a wire rack and let them cool completely on the same painted white surface—cooling is important so the cream cheese frosting won’t melt when applied.
Step 5: Make the malted cream cheese frosting
Beat the softened cream cheese until silky, then gradually beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla and malt powder until the frosting is smooth, fluffy and holds soft peaks. The frosting should read as pale, velvety cream with tiny malt flecks—light but substantial enough to pipe and hold the playful decorations.
Step 6: Hollow, fill, frost and decorate
Using a small paring knife, cut a cone-shaped hole from the center of each cooled cake and fill the cavity with Nutella, replacing the top of the cone (trim the tip you removed so the top sits flush). Transfer the malted cream cheese frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip and pipe a neat swirl on each cake; sprinkle with crushed Oreo or toasted coconut so the surface reads like chocolatey soil, nestle three milk chocolate eggs on each swirl, and tuck a tiny sprig of carrot green into the frosting for height and color. Serve each finished terracotta pot on the painted white surface and store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Use room-temperature eggs for a smoother, more consistent batter.
- If using terracotta pots, line with parchment cones to help cakes release easily.
- Chill the cream cheese slightly before whipping to avoid a runny frosting.
- Substitute canola oil for coconut oil if you want a neutral flavor.
- Freeze unfrosted cakes for up to 2 months; thaw before filling and frosting.