Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot Cupcakes on a white plate topped with frosting and chopped nuts

These charming Carrot Cake Cupcakes are full of warm spices and tons of carrot flavor. They’re perfect for Easter or anytime you have a hankering for classic carrot cake topped with the creamiest cream cheese frosting. Plus, there’s no pineapple, nuts or raisins here!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Cooling Time 45

Servings cupcakes

Calories 346kcal

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

½ cup vegetable oil 114g
¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
2 eggs ~100g
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 11g
1 ⅓ cups finely grated carrots 200g
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 180g
1 teaspoon baking powder 5g
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3g
½ teaspoon kosher salt 2g
½ teaspoon ground ginger 2g
¼ teaspoon ground allspice 1g
⅛ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
¼ cup milk

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese softened
¼ cup unsalted butter softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 11g
½ teaspoon kosher salt 2g
3 cups powdered sugar 336g

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Set aside.
Whisk together the oil and granulated sugar in a large bowl until combined.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
Pour in the grated carrots, and mix until combined. It will be lumpy.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, allspice and nutmeg. Whisk to combine.
Pour half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, and stir to incorporate it.
Pour in the milk, and mix to combine.
Add the rest of the flour, and mix until just combined.
Measure 3 tablespoons of the batter into each cupcake liner.
Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (Keep an eye on these because if they overbake, they will become tough.)
Allow 30-45 minutes to cool before frosting.

Make the Frosting

While the cupcakes are baking, beat the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla extract.
Add the powdered sugar and salt. Use the hand mixer to incorporate into the cream cheese and butter mixture.
When the icing is smooth, chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to ice the cupcakes. You can transfer the icing to a piping bag, or you can simply dollop it onto the cupcakes.
Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!

Notes

You can add chopped nuts (like the pecans, shown above), more grated carrots, orange zest, etc., as decoration on top of the cupcakes or you can leave them plain.

How to store:

Once the cupcakes are cool and frosted, you can serve them. However, cream cheese frosting should only be left out at room temperature for two hours.

Keep frosted cupcakes in the fridge in a food-safe, airtight cupcake container . Refrigerate the cupcakes until 1 hour before you serve them. Then you’ll have another hour for people to enjoy them.

You can also keep the frosting in the fridge and keep un-iced cupcakes in a food-safe, airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

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