These Carrot Cake Cupcakes are moist, perfectly spiced, and with just enough sweetness to balance out the tangy, fluffy cream cheese frosting. They are everything you want in carrot cake in a perfectly-portioned cupcake.
Why We Love These Carrot Cake Cupcakes
I love carrot cake. Moist, lightly spiced, and piled high with tangy cream cheese frosting. And since I am getting some veggies in the mix, I can happily dig into that second (or third..) helping. But I’ve also had my fair share of underwhelming carrot cake. Dry, flavorless, oily, or (gulp) packed with raisins.
Enter these Carrot Cake Cupcakes. After a bit of testing and reworking, we ended up with a cupcake that was moist but not dense and greasy, with plenty of delicious spice flavor, and perfectly light and fluffy. And the not-overly-sweet cupcake is perfectly balanced by the tangy, super creamy cream cheese frosting. I left out the nuts and raisins because I’m a purist like that. But you do you. I promise that either way, these cupcakes will be one of the best carrot cake experiences of your life.
Ingredients for Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
- Carrots
- Flour
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vegetable Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Pecans
How To Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl.
- Add the grated carrots and stir to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir just until combined.
- Pour the batter into a greased or paper lined muffin tin.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Beat softened cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Top with pecans if desired. Enjoy!
Tips & Suggestions
Can I use this recipe to make carrot cake?
Yep! Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You can also bake the batter in 2 round baking pans for a layered cake.
Why are my carrot cake cupcakes dry?
This is a moist and pretty forgiving recipe! If your cupcakes are coming out dry, make sure you aren’t overbaking your cupcakes. Pull them out of the oven as soon as they are set.
How do you make glazed pecans?
We topped our cupcakes with maple glazed pecans- they are delicious, easy, and make such a pretty presentation!
To make glazed pecans, add 1 cup of pecans to a non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Toast the pecans for 2-3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add two tablespoons maple syrup and a pinch of salt and mix well to coat. Transfer the pecans to a sheet of parchment paper and separate to avoid sticking. Allow to cool completely.
More Delicious Cake Recipes:
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
These Carrot Cake Cupcakes are moist, perfectly spiced, and with just enough sweetness to balance out the tangy, fluffy cream cheese frosting. They are everything you want in carrot cake in a perfectly-portioned cupcake.
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 260kcal
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans optional
Cupcakes
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin, or butter each tin and dust with flour, shaking off the extra.
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In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
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In a separate bowl, combine the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. Stir in carrots until everything is incorporated together well.
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Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Scoop into muffin tin, with muffin liners or by spraying a muffin tin. Fill about 2/3 of the way full.
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Bake for 25-30 minutes. The cupcakes are done when the tops bounce back when lightly touched, or a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Cream Cheese Frosting
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Cream together softened cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and beat again. Stir in chopped pecans if using.
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Once the cupcakes are cooled, spread each one with frosting. Enjoy!
Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2843IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
www.superhealthykids.com
Natalie Monson
I’m a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.