Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
If you put a vegetable into a cupcake, it’s basically like eating a salad, right?
Because that’s what I’m telling myself, as I am eating my 5th carrot cake cupcake from this batch. My keyboard is getting a little bit sticky from the cream cheese frosting. Worth it!
Did you all have a nice Easter? Ours was just great. We kept it low key and had a fun dinner at my parents house. The weather was so nice, we played cornhole outside after dinner. I sat with the dogs, and proceeded to be attacked by mosquitoes. I now have 5 mosquito bites. And one of them is right on my neck. On my NECK! It’s driving me berserk.
And to make it worse, out of the 6 of us outside I’m the only one who got bit. Just me!
Shawn said it’s because I have sweet blood. But I think it’s because I spent the afternoon baking these delicious carrot cake cupcakes. While frosting them, I definitely swiped a few tastes of the cream cheese frosting. And of course I’m going to lick the frosting bowl. I’m not going to waste a drop of the cream-cheesy goodness.
I must have had a slight layer of carrot cake cupcake sweetness to me, which the mosquitoes found irresistable. I can’t say that I blame them, because these cupcakes are honestly the best carrot cake cupcakes I’ve ever had.
They have a soft and delicate crumb that melts in your mouth as you take a bite. There are 6 whole shredded carrots in there, so it is loaded with carrot flavor, but still light and airy. There is just enough cinnamon and nutmeg spice to compliment the carrots without overwhelming them. And they are finished off with a sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting.
It just doesn’t get any better than carrot cake cupcakes.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound medium carrots, about 6, grated on a box grater or in your food processor
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar, confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the trays in the upper and lower third. Line 2 cupcake cans with paper liners.
- In stand mixer (or do by hand in a large mixing bowl), whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar for about 1 minute. Slowly drizzle in the vegetable and whisk for another 1 minute until emulsified. Mix in carrots and whisk for 20 seconds. Add in the dry ingredients in 2 batches and mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake until the cupcakes are set and a wooden skewer comes out clean, about 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway thru. Remove and allow to cool completely before frosting. There will be enough batter remaining to make 4 more cupcakes if you wish to use all the batter.
- Make the frosting by whisking together the cream cheese, butter, sour cream, vanilla and powdered sugar. Transfer to a plastic bag, snip the end off, and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
- Will keep in an airtight container for 4 days. The cupcakes freeze wonderfully. Just transfer to an airtight container before frosting. Freeze up to 6 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge for about 12 hours, then frost them.
Notes
43 Comments on “Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting”
Hi!
In 2019 I made the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. After some sleuthing, I finally found the recipe and it’s this one!
I made is as a two-layer 9″ cake instead of cupcakes. I don’t remember if I did one batch or if I doubled it, but in any case, it was amazing.
I was re-energized to search for this recipe because I’m jonesing for carrot cake again so I plan on remaking this recipe this weekend. Thanks for the Carrot Cake Joy!!
Wow! Thank you, Britta! This totally made my day. SO glad you found it, and I am so honored that it’s mine!
Commenting on the appearance of the cupcakes is okay; however, someone like me need to know if the recipe is worth trying.
You should try them Li Lo, they are very delicious.
It sounds like you had a nice Easter…minus the mosquito bites. These cupcakes are seriously picture perfect! Delicious and gorgeous time infinity. :)
Of course veggie cupcakes are a salad!
Hey, I’m the girl who just signed with a literary agent Tuesday. I wanted to thank you for visiting my blog and for the kind comments you left about my story at http://thefoodcharlatan.com/. You may not know this, but writers get a LOT of critique. Like having mud thrown all over your words. It’s cleansing and necessary and all, but hearing something nice is . . . well, obviously it’s motivated me to track you down and praise you. LOOK, I’LL PRAISE YOU IN CAPS NOW. THANK YOU!!! YOU ROCK!
Is that enough praise? Do I need to write a haiku for you like I did for Karen? :)
You are so sweet Nikki! You just made my morning! I’m really glad that my kind words gave you a smile. I can’t imagine the amount of “critiques” you get being a write. If someone was critiquing my writing here I’d probably…well…sit in a corner and cry. You must have a tough skin.
But I really did love the first few pages of Shatter! I read a lot of novels similar to this, so I am totally your audience. Some of my favorite novels are by Jodi Picoult, and this really reminded me of her writing. Please keep me (aka, make sure Karen posts about it!) when the book comes out, and I’ll be the first to buy it!
Congratulations again on signing with a literary agent Nikki! Such exciting first steps! Before you know it you’ll be a published author. Ahh! Happy Friday to you!
And no need for a haiku, just keep writing beautiful stories instead : )
Awesome, thanks!! I’ll definitely keep you posted! Ironically, I’ve never heard of Jodi Picoult. I’m going to go check her out right now. Thanks for the heads up!
Oh my, you must check her out right away! I’m sure you’ve heard of her. She wrote the book “The Other Sister” that was made into that movie with Cameron Diaz. Your writing *totally* reminded me of her! Which is a huge compliment, because I’ve literally read all of her books.
Oh my goodness your photos are beautiful! Seriously love them. And those darn mosquito bites… as much as I can’t wait for summer, that’s the one thing that I could do without.
Gosh! These carrot cake cupcakes look so divine. Carrot cake is my favourite cake, and I would love to devour these! Who cares if Easter passed?! I need to make these babies; I can tell how moist they are just from staring at them! Re Easter & Mosquitos – it was fun, we stayed at a guest house and had lunch with family friends at another villa. I got bitten by SO MANY mosquitos too (the guest house was out of my parish, Kingston, and that parish, Trelawny is definitely infested with mosquitos!). I know how much it hurts – sorry to hear! Ice will help :).
These look stunning! The frosting is done just right! (somehow I can’t get it perfect….) You know this might sound crazy, but I have never made carrot cake. Can you believe it? Now I want to try it. You may have started something, Natalie! :)
Happy Baking!
-Kloe ♥
Thanks Kloe! I put the frosting in a little ziploc plastic bag, like the kind you put sandwiches in, snip the end off, and swirl away. So easy! You should give it a try. Makes your cupcakes look all fancy and professional. And you must make carrot cake! It’s so easy, and so yummy. Thanks for stopping by, have a good weekend!
Okay, your pictures are absolutely stunning. Please come over and teach me!! I am in awe. Carrot cake cupcakes are one of my favorites. The fact that there is carrot in them totally makes them healthy ;-).
I was going to say the same thinig– you must have sweet blood!
These cupcakes though… I think I’m going to have to make some and convince myself it’s practically the same thing as salad. I’m sure I won’t need much convincing! And that icing… there are few things in this world better than cream cheese icing but I’ve never made it with sour cream, I will definitely be trying that!
Natalie, GORGEOUS pictures dear! And ewww don’t remind me mosquitos exist :( I spent all fall and winter forgetting they exist. Haha ohhh well I guess. I totally can relate to a sticky key board…however usually my cell phone gets the bulk of it. Since it is my camera instead of a fancy DSLR it is always getting covered with oil, flour, sugar…you name it! I still haven’t made carrot cake this season…I need to change that! Thanks for sharing! Pinned!
I adore carrot cake! :) My wedding cake was…you guessed it…carrot cake. These cupcakes look phenomenal! I can never get enough cream cheese frosting.
So our likeness continues! I’m always the one that gets bit by mosquitoes while everyone else walks away fine. I joke that I’m their mosquito repellent. Those annoying insects see me and don’t want anything else. Hope you aren’t too itchy today!
Love carrot cake cupcakes! So moorish and the perfect treat! I’m with you on the idea of carrot cake cupcakes being healthy just like a salad! :)
Oh Natalie, I totally commiserate … I am usually the only one to get bitten, too! Still, at least these cupcakes came out perfectly. The photos are stunning, too! :-)
Natalie, I’m also the first to be devoured by any insects when I step outside–so glad I’m not alone :) These cupcakes are darling! And totally feed my carrot cake obsession!
These cupcakes are so beautiful! I love them. And, it makes it much easier to eat ‘salad’ this way! Pinned!
That’s also my kind of “salad” for the Holidays , Natalie :)
Looks lovely, moist and delicious.
Hope you had great Holidays !