These Carrot Cake Cupcakes are absolutely amazing! Soft and airy with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting generously spread on top.
In This Post
How to Make These Cupcakes
Why I Adore These Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Wow, these are just incredible! My husband has a special fondness for carrot cake, which sets the bar quite high for finding a truly great cupcake recipe.
(I also have a special place in my heart for carrot cake coffee cake, which feels a bit more like brunch, so we have some variety now.)
They’re light and bouncy with a lovely dome, yet rich and buttery enough to capture the essence of traditional carrot cake!
I’m not particularly adept at decoration, but my sister crafted these adorable carrot toppers a while back that have been on my mind ever since – they’re bound to garner some delightful reactions at Easter brunch. (Instructions for them are included in the notes of the recipe.)
Moist, soft, not overly complicated, and topped off with cream cheese frosting. It’s simply beautiful. Hope you enjoy them!
The Ultimate Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Total Time:
40 minutesYield:
12 cupcakes 1x
Description
Carrot Cake Cupcakes featuring Cream Cheese Frosting! They are springy and soft, yet also rich and moist, topped with ample cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with non-stick spray. (I prefer them without paper liners – they achieve a beautifully textured edge and perfect dome, plus a chewier crust!)
- Carrots: Grate the carrots and then chop them roughly into smaller bits. You can also use a food processor, but I found that the grated and chopped method gave better results when compared directly.
- Cupcake Batter: In a bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Gently fold in the grated carrots. Mix the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
- Bake: Fill the muffin tin about two-thirds full with your batter. Bake for 16-17 minutes. Lightly press the center; if it springs back, they’re finished. If not, allow for an additional 2-3 minutes. (If using paper liners, expect to bake for around 19 minutes.)
- Cream Cheese Frosting: With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until creamy. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing until everything is smooth. It should be thick enough for piping, but if it’s not, put it in the fridge for a bit to firm up.
- Frost and Enjoy: Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes; serve right away or keep in the refrigerator. (They’re also fantastic the day after!)
Notes
What Type Of Oil: We experimented with avocado oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, and coconut oil. (!!) Coconut oil provided an incredibly lush, buttery texture when warm, but they became firm and dry once cooled. Assuming most of us want to bake these in advance for gatherings, I aimed to use an oil that maintains softness and moisture even after cooling. Therefore, canola oil is a solid option as it stays soft and moist for several days.
Carrot Amounts: Carrot sizes can vary greatly! I’ve made this several times, and I strongly suggest weighing your carrots if possible – I use an easy-to-use scale. I weigh them after peeling and trimming, so I’m certain about the quantity of carrot (along with flour, and sugar) in my recipe.
Making Carrot Toppers: Optional, but my sister made these years ago (inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction) and they are the cutest. Here’s how I do it: melt 3 squares of almond bark in the microwave for 90 seconds, checking it every 30 seconds. (Almond bark is far easier to work with than white chocolate, in my experience.) Divide it into two bowls and use gel food coloring to make a light orange (a few drops of red + a few drops of yellow) and a green. Place the orange in a baggie, snip the tip, and pipe small triangular squiggles on parchment or wax paper. Repeat with the green. I make a tiny green dot on top of the carrot and use a toothpick to fan it out into a three-pronged carrot top. They’ll set in about 20 minutes and will be ready to place atop your cupcakes!
Sweetness of the Frosting: If you find the cream cheese frosting to be too sugary, you can whip up some regular cream and mix it into the cream cheese frosting to make it lighter and less sweet. A great suggestion from a commenter recently!
Liners vs. no liners: I prefer to bake these without paper liners – they achieve a delightful crispy edge, and the contrast of the chewy, slightly caramelized outside is a perfect balance with the fluffy inside! Just like this!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: carrot cake cupcakes, cream cheese frosting, carrot cake
Common Questions About This Recipe
Can you include nuts and raisins in these cupcakes?
Definitely! Just incorporate them into the batter at the end prior to baking.
Is it okay to use liners in the pan?
Baking them directly in the muffin tin without liners is my preferred method! They bake perfectly, getting a nice contrast with the texture, and they look fantastic without the paper! The downside to using paper liners: they can take longer to bake, and these are quite moist, so if preparing a day in advance, the oil might permeate the paper liners.
Can I prepare these in a mini muffin pan?
I love that idea! Just shorten the baking time to 10 minutes and check from there.
Can I make these cupcakes dairy-free?
The carrot cake cupcakes, as described, do not contain dairy. For the frosting – I haven’t tried it, but I would assume that substituting dairy-free butter and vegan cream cheese would work (like this recipe).
Can I use a different type of oil for this recipe?
I recommend a neutral oil for this, such as canola oil or vegetable oil. I did enjoy using coconut oil in these as well, though they didn’t remain as soft once cooled. (Check the notes in the recipe for my detailed experiences testing different oils!)