Decadent moist and fluffy carrot cake cupcakes with a rich and silky cream cheese frosting on top. They are perfectly spiced and full of carrot flavor.
Woohoo, Easter is coming up this weekend and I am so excited about this! Since we won’t be in town, fortunately, I already made a carrot cake to celebrate this holiday earlier with my husband and my sister in law. It was all killed (Ugh!). Believe it or not, carrot cake is a must-have dessert not only for Easter but all year long.
We want to make this carrot cake again and bring it along with us on our trip; however, since it is hard to keep it stable in the car, I decided to turn them into cupcakes. These delicate, moist crumb of carrot cupcakes made in a small batch using 3 whole carrots, which is perfect for small celebration, take-out or serving on your own (this is me!).
HOW TO MAKE CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES
Carrot cake cupcakes are one of my favorite ways to add some extra veggies into my diet. With a right touch of warm spice and tangy flavor from cream cheese frosting, you won’t taste the veggies that much. Delicious as they are, it’s simple to make.
You simply start off by whisking all dry ingredients together in one bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients until combined, then pour the dry ingredients and mix together with wet ingredients. Make sure not to overmix the batter if you want to have light and fluffy cupcakes. Next, fold the grated carrots and dry mix-ins like coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans. I also added a bit of sweetened shredded coconut for extra flavor. The method is similar to making my favorite carrot cake, except I added a little yogurt while whisking the wet ingredients for extra moistness in the cupcakes.
Bake them in the oven for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Once they cool completely, top them with cream cheese frosting and garnish with nuts.
DECORATE CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES
While the cupcakes are cooling, it’s time to make cream cheese frosting. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip, pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake once they’ve cooled. Then garnish each cupcake with a generous amount of finely chopped walnuts. You can use walnuts or pecans, whichever you prefer. Otherwise, you can leave the cupcakes as is without any toppings as they are still delicious.
If you make this Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe, make sure to tag me on Instagram or tell me all about it in the comments section down below. I love to share your photos! Happy Easter baking! 
More Delicious Cupcakes:
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
For Carrot Cupcakes
- 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (130g) grated fresh carrots* (about 3 medium carrots)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt, or Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (70g) light or dark brown sugar, add more if needed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (55g) pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup (15g) sweetened shredded coconut
For Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz (226g/1 block) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/57g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (80g) sifted powdered sugar, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
- To make cupcakes: Wash and peel carrots. Grate the carrots using the fine grate side of a box grater. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, yogurt and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy. Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix just until combined. Don’t overmix. Fold in the carrots, nuts, and shredded coconut.
- Evenly distribute your batter between the cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make cream cheese frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Scrape down the bowl, add vanilla extract and beat on high speed until completely smooth.
- Frost cupcakes with cream cheese frosting once they've cooled, using a piping bag fitted with a tip. Sprinkle with coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans if desired.
- Frosted cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving.
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