Carrot Cake Cupcakes
These carrot cake cupcakes are the perfect little versions of a classic carrot cake. The carrot cupcakes are moist and tender, flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and frosted with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients for Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Carrot Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon + nutmeg – These warm spices give the cupcakes a classic carrot cake flavor.
- Egg – Large egg, room temperature.
- Milk – Room temperature. You can use regular milk or buttermilk if you prefer.
- Vegetable oil – You can also use canola oil or any other neutral baking oil.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract.
- Carrots – Use a food processor to make very finely grated carrots. The finer, the better!
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Cream cheese – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds amazing vanilla flavor.
- Salt – A pinch of salt provides some contrast to the sweetness.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pans with 14 cupcake liners.
- Make the cupcake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg). Add in the wet ingredients (egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract) and whisk until combined and smooth. Stir in the finely grated carrots.
- Bake the cupcakes: Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop (about 3/4 full). Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: Whip the butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes until light and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until combined. Turn the mixer to medium and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the cupcakes: Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the cream cheese frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of buttercream onto the cupcakes.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips posts on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes and 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn simple tips and tricks to make the most out of this recipe.
- If you want to learn more about my favorite cupcake baking and decorating supplies, be sure to check out this post for more information.
- Learn how to frost cupcakes and my favorite piping tips for frosting cupcakes.
- Be sure that the carrots are very finely grated. I recommend using a food processor, but if you don’t have one, you can use a box grater with the smallest grate size.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the cupcakes?
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Can I add nuts to this recipe?
- Yes, if you would like, you could add chopped pecans, walnuts, or raisins into the recipe. I recommend sticking to about 1/2 cup.
Can I turn this recipe into a cake?
- This recipe is specifically formulated for cupcakes, but I encourage you to check out my carrot cake or loaded carrot cake recipes.
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Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Yield: 14 cupcakes
These carrot cake cupcakes are the perfect little versions of a classic carrot cake. The carrot cupcakes are moist and tender, flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and frosted with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting.
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) baking powder
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) cinnamon
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) nutmeg
- 1 (1) large egg room temperature
- ¾ cup (177 ml) milk room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (128 g) finely grated carrots
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese room temperature
- 3 ½ cups (420 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
Instructions
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pans with 14 cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add in the room temperature egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until the ingredients are combined and smooth. Fold in the finely grated carrots until they are well dispersed throughout the batter.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop (about 3/4 full). Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the room temperature unsalted butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes until it is light, pale, and creamy.
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Add in the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined with the butter and cream cheese. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Mix the cream cheese frosting on low speed for several minutes to remove any air bubbles and to smooth out the frosting.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the cream cheese frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
Notes
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
Hi! Can we use almond milk instead of regular milk?
Hi Evelyn! Almond milk will work fine in this recipe.
Hi! I’ve made these a couple of times and they are delicious. I would like to take them to an event but was wondering if they could be converted to mini cupcakes?
Hi Erin! Absolutely! For my mini cupcake pan, the baking time is usually about 10 minutes.
Made these for Easter and they were a HUGE hit!! Thank you for sharing your recipes!!
Amazing to hear! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!! Thanks for trying it out!
Can I use buttermilk instead of regular milk for this recipe?
Yes absolutely!
Wow! I could not believe how GREAT my house smelled while I was whipping up these carrot cake cupcakes! The color was beautiful, and they baked PERFECTLY leaving me with gorgeous, soft and moist and most importantly- DELICIOUS cupcakes! I will surely be using this recipe again!
I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for trying it!
Can I used baby food carrots in the recipe, cause my husband love carrot cake & cupcakes not real carrots
Hi Sandra! I have never tested out the recipe with baby food carrots, so I can’t say how well that would work or give you an idea of how much you would need. If you try it out, please let me know how it works!