Whether it be for Easter or Mother's Day, a birthday party or a random Tuesday treat, these Carrot Cake Cupcakes are perfectly moist and flavor-packed. Topped with cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with chopped toasted pecans? Your friends and family will be begging for more. Or don't share them and just give yourself a treat between folding loads of laundry. I'm here for it.
care about the carrots.
For best results, try to use really good carrots. Ideally, I would use carrots from our garden, but that's not an option at the moment so some good quality organic carrots are just what we need in this carrot cake cupcake recipe. Just peel them and then grate them medium/fine on a box grater. Please don't buy them pre-grated in a package like for a salad. They're so tough and bland and dry that way. You really need the carrots to be the star of the show. Trust me, just quickly grate them fine and you'll understand after you bite into a perfectly moist, flavor-packed cupcake.
Looking for other amazing carrot recipes? This Carrot Apple Slaw is my FAVORITE. And this Roasted Carrot Soup with Bacon and Ginger is phenomenal too!
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Perfect for Easter or any day really, these carrot cake cupcakes are perfectly moist and simple to make. Topped with silky cream cheese frosting and topped with a sprinkling of toasted pecans, they're sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
Ingredients
For the cupcakes-
1 ¾ cups (225g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon ginger
1 ¼ cups (257g) light brown sugar
¾ cup (175g) canola oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups (310g) finely grated carrots, about 6 medium carrots
¾ cup chopped toasted pecans
24 cupcake liners
For the frosting-
3 cups (340g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
Chopped toasted pecans, for decoration
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange 24 cupcake liners into muffin/cupcake pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves, and ginger.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in carrots and pecans until evenly distributed. Gently fold in the flour mixture until combined and no pockets of flour remain.
Divide batter into cupcake liners, filling about ⅔ full. Bake on center rack of 350°F oven for 25 minutes, until set.
Let cool on wire rack completely before frosting.
Prepare the frosting-
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and continue mixing until smooth. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt. Continue mixing, adding the cream cheese gradually. Increase speed to medium and beat until very smooth.
Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes with a spatula, or use a piping bag for a more professional finish. Sprinkle with chopped toasted pecans. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Keywords: carrot cake cupcakes, cream cheese frosting
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