Carrot Cake Cupcakes
These yummy cupcakes are a more casual take on the traditional carrot cake. Moist and delicious, they have everything you love about the big cake - including that amazing cream cheese frosting - in individual servings - awesome!View the original recipe on Sugar Spun Run.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¾ cups vegetable or canola oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. milk
- 1½ cups grated carrots
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional
- ½ cup raisins optional
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter softened
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Then line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, sugars, baking soda and powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon). Stir them together so they are evenly blended (a whisk works well for this).
- Next, add the vegetable oil and mix using a wire whisk, electric hand mixer, or stand mixer. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
- Stir in the vanilla and milk, then add the grated carrots (and nuts and raisins, if you're using them). Mix till well incorporated.
- Once your batter is done, divide it evenly among the 12 cups in the muffin pan. Then place the pan in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
- The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Since oven cooking times can vary, check your cupcakes at the 15-minute mark to see how they're doing.
- When the cupcakes are done, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once your cupcakes have cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Sift the powdered sugar and set aside.
- Using a hand-held electric mixer or a stand mixer, mix together the butter and cream cheese till well blended (there should be no lumps of butter or cream cheese).
- Stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Slowly add in the sifted powdered sugar. It's best to run your mixer on a low setting to avoid a big cloud of powdered sugar going everywhere.
- Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, go forth and frost! You can also pipe the frosting, if desired. Just be sure to use a wide piping tip, as the frosting is quite stiff and thick.
Notes
- Grate your carrots first to keep the process flowing smoothly. You can do this ahead of time, if desired, and just refrigerate the grated carrots till you're ready to use them.
- The original cream cheese frosting recipe is double what is shared above. That amount is a bit much for us on 12 cupcakes, so we find this amount is perfect. But, if you love a lot of frosting, consider doubling it.
Nutrition Facts
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Amount per Serving
Calories
457
% Daily Value*
Fat
25
g
38
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Trans Fat
0.2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
7
g
Monounsaturated Fat
11
g
Cholesterol
48
mg
16
%
Sodium
243
mg
11
%
Potassium
180
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
55
g
18
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
38
g
42
%
Protein
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
2969
IU
59
%
Vitamin C
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
56
mg
6
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.