Mini Carrot Cakes with Candied Pecans

• If you're planning to fill the mini cakes with pineapple curd, make it first before you start making the cake.

To make the candied pecans:

• Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or a silicone mat.
• In a small dish, mix the sugar, cinnamon and salt.
• Whisk the egg white and vanilla extract until nice and frothy, good 3-4 minutes. (Make sure the mixture is frothy, as pictured above.)
• Add the chopped pecans and mix well.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the nuts and toss the pecans with the sugar mixture until the nuts are evenly coated.
• Transfer the coated pecans onto a prepared baking sheet and spread into a single layer.
• Bake the pecans, stirring and checking every 15 minutes, until the nuts are evenly browned and crisp, about 45 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, you can chop the candied pecans into even smaller pieces.

To make the carrot cake:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baker's half baking sheet with parchment paper and spray cooking spray all over the parchment paper and on the sides.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, mix together eggs, Greek yogurt, oil, sugar, and brown sugar until well combined.
• Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Don’t overmix at this point.
• Add grated carrots and gently fold the batter with a silicone spatula.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and tap a few times to get rid of bubbles.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Make the cream cheese frosting:

• Beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until fluffy for 1 minute.
• Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for a minute. Then increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the frosting into a piping bag with a plain round tip, if desired. (Alternatively, you can simply use 2 teaspoons to frost the cakes.)

To assemble the mini cakes:

• Once the cake is cooled completely, carefully transfer the cake onto a flat surface. And cut out 2-inch circles using a cookie cutter (I love this cookie cutter set!) and arrange the mini cake layers on a wire rack.
• Pipe a ring around the edge on bottom cake layers and add pineapple curd in the center. (Alternatively, if you're not using pineapple curd, spread a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese frosting on the bottom cake layers and sprinkle candied pecans).
• Then place the top cake layers over the frosting. Finally, spread more frosting on top and sprinkle candied pecans.
• Store the cakes in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.
• Mix the leftover cake scraps and frosting in the mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld electric mixer, and make some cake pops.