My Favorite Year Round Bake: Carrot Cake Cupcakes!
Carrot cake cupcakes are every bit as delicious as a single or layered carrot cake, but with the perfect portions of moist, spiced cake topped with mounds of luscious cream cheese frosting. The best part? You don’t have to share.
Why this recipe works
These cupcakes are utterly moist and tender with a delicate crumb. The warm spices of cinnamon complement the natural sweetness of the carrots, while the walnuts add the perfect amount of crunch. But the piece de resistance is the homemade cream cheese frosting, which is rich, tangy, and deliciously sweet.
If you, like me, can never get enough carrot cake, try my carrot cake loaf (it has a super crisp exterior that I am in love with) or this easy single layer carrot cake, both of which are topped with the same luscious and smooth cream cheese frosting! Or check out all of my easy dessert recipes for more inspiration!
What You’ll Need For The Cake Batter
- I use a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. You can use all white sugar if you want.
- Vegetable oil, which contributes to the utterly moist texture of the carrot cupcakes.
- Room temperature eggs: It’s really important to use room temperature eggs. They mix more easily with other ingredients, creating a smoother batter and allowing for better air incorporation. This yields a light, fluffy cupcake!
- Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, kosher salt.
- Grated carrots: If possible, grate the carrots yourself. Pre-shredded carrots are not recommended as they tend to be dry and lack the moisture of freshly grated carrots.
- Chopped walnuts: These are optional, but I just love the crunch!
I prefer carrot cake of any form without raisins, however if you want to add them, stir in 1 cup of raisins when you fold in the carrots and walnuts. (For my raisin lovers, I always add them to carrot cake overnight oats, which benefit from their natural sweet taste).
The cream cheese frosting is made with unsalted butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Vegetable oil: Swap for melted coconut oil or canola oil. Don’t use olive oil!
- Brown sugar: You can use an equal amount of coconut sugar if you like. This yields a deep, caramel-like flavor.
- Walnuts: Either omit nuts entirely or substitute with pecans.
- I have not tested this with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting, but I know there are some great recipes out there online. Feel free to do what works best for you!
Easy Instructions
Full ingredient quantities and directions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Prepare the pan. Preheat an oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a stand mixer, beat sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix until well combined.
- Add carrots and walnuts. Fold in grated carrots and walnuts (if using) until evenly mixed.
- Bake the cupcakes. Fill liners ⅔ full with carrot cake batter, then bake for 20-23 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. While the cupcakes cool, make the cream cheese frosting in a stand mixer or with a hand held electric mixture. Room temperature ingredients are key for ensuring it has no lumps!
- Frost the cupcakes! Frost cooled cupcakes using a spatula or piping bag. Garnish with chopped walnuts if you like, then enjoy!
How To Know When Cupcakes Are Done
Insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cupcakes are ready!
I definitely recommend allowing them to cool completely before frosting, otherwise you risk the cream cheese melting a bit.
Ari’s Best Tips!
- When possible, grate the carrots fresh. Use a fine grater to shred fresh carrots. This ensures they incorporate seamlessly into the batter.
- Don’t over mix! Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined to avoid dense cupcakes.
- Chill the frosting. If your frosting becomes too soft, you can pop it in a refrigerator to firm up for 10-15 minutes before piping or spreading.
Make-Ahead and Store
- To make-ahead: The cupcakes can be baked up to 1 day in advance. Store them unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature. Prepare the frosting and frost them the day of serving.
- Storage: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving (this is ideal for both the carrot cake texture as well as the cream cheese frosting).
Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw at room temperature, then frost before serving. The cream cheese frosting can also be frozen separately for up to 1 month.
Serving Suggestions
I can’t think of a single occasion that wouldn’t benefit from carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting! Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, Easter, bringing them into your kid’s classroom, or just craving something sweet, these are always a good choice!
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a beginner, these carrot cupcakes are surprisingly simple to make and too delicious not to share with friends and family. I hope you love them as much as I do!
If you make my Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (160g) brown sugar
- 1¼ cups (296ml) vegetable oil
- 4 large (200g) eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2⅓ cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 4 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, plus an additional ½ -1 cup for garnish – can use pecans instead
For the cream cheese frosting
- ½ cup (1 stick; 113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3½ cups (438g) confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the pan. Preheat an oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Place 1¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (160g) brown sugar, 1¼ cups (296ml) vegetable oil, 4 large (200g) eggs, and 2 tsp vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until thoroughly mixed, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add 2⅓ cups (280g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, and ½ tsp Kosher salt, then beat until just combined.
- Add remaining ingredients. Stir in 4 cups grated carrots and 1 cup chopped walnuts until just combined.
- Bake the cupcake. Pour the batter into the liners so that they are about ⅘ of the way full Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining cupcake batter. Cool cupcakes completely before icing.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Place ½ cup (113g) butter and 8 oz cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until very mixed, about 1-2 minutes. Turn the mixer off, then add 3½ cups (438g) confectioner’s sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Begin beating on low, then gradually increase the speed as the sugar is incorporated. Continue beating until the frosting is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes more.
- Frost the cupcakes. When the cupcakes are completely cool, spread or pipe the frosting on top. I like to finish with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts, but you can skip this if you want. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Photography by Katilin.
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