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These is the most delicious, moist and easy Carrot Cupcakes! They are full of shredded carrots and warm spices and they have the most soft and fluffy texture plus they are topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. This carrot cupcake recipe is so easy and it will be quick family favorite.
These carrot cupcakes are so easy to make as it's all come together in one bowl. They are so delicious and full of shredded carrots and warm spices and they have the most amazing moist crumb. Plus they are topped with the best cream cheese frosting. These delicious carrot cupcakes are so good you’ll want to make them on repeat and are perfect to serve for Easter.
For more carrot cake recipes, try Classic Carrot Cake, Carrot Cake Cookies and Carrot Cake Loaf.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Carrot Cupcakes: These carrot cake cupcakes are super soft and moist.
- One-bowl: These cupcakes comes together in just one bowl, making them super easy to make.
- Cream cheese frosting: The cupcakes are topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: Gives a light and airy cupcake. I prefer using all-purpose flour with a protein amount that is between 10-11%
- Sugar: The granulated sugar and brown sugar helps sweeten, as well as give moister to the cake.
- Eggs: Let the eggs come to room temperature before baking.
- Carrot: I recommend using freshly grated carrot over pre-shredded carrots. The grated carrot gives so much moisture and super soft and tender cupcakes. Measure out the grated carrot and make sure it's room temperature.
- Oil: Use a flavor neutral vegetable oil, such as canola oil.
- Sour cream: Sour cream makes for super soft and tender cupcakes. Measure out the sour cream and let it come to room temperature.
- Spices: To give that classic carrot cake flavor, ground cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg and cloves is added.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake these Carrot Cupcakes. This recipe needs an electric mixer, two large bowls, a whisk and a spatula.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 160ºC/ 320ºF conventional oven. Line a 12-cup cupcake tin lined with cupcake paper liners.
STEP 1: In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spice and salt. In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, including the grated carrots, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined.
STEP 2: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir it all together with a whisk or a rubber spatula. Make sure there is no dry flour left in the batter.
STEP 3: Divide the cupcake batter, using a large cookie scoop, into the 12 cupcake liners and bake them for 22-24 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.
STEP 4: For the frosting, in your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter for 5 minutes on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix for 2 minutes.
STEP 5: Add the vanilla bean extract and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter for 1 minute. Mix the sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts, letting the powdered sugar mix in with butter and cream cheese before adding the next part.
STEP 6: Add the buttercream to a piping bag with a star piping tip e.g. a Wilton 1M, pipe the buttercream of the cupcakes.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
To check when they are done, insert a cake tester or a toothpick in the cupcakes. Once it comes out clean, with no cupcake batter on it, they are done.
Store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, and unused frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. When ready to pip the buttercream on the cupcakes, let the frosting come to room temperature before giving is stir to remove the air bubbles. Pip the frosting on the cupcakes and they are ready to be enjoyed.
Yes, you can add a handful of chopped raisins, walnuts and pecans.
HOW TO STORE
Store the frosted Carrot Cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge. Let them sit on the kitchen counter for 20-30 minutes before enjoying. They are best enjoyed within 1-2 days.
Other Cupcake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
CARROT CUPCAKES
- 200 g grated carrots room temperature
- 240 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground all spice powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg powder
- A pinch of ground cloves powder
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g dark brown sugar
- 100 g oil room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 70 g sour cream 14-18% room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 200 g butter
- 100 g full-fat cream cheese
- 360 g powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
CARROT CUPCAKES
- Preheat the oven at 160ºC/320ºF conventional oven and line a 12-cup cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners.
- Finely grate the carrots and weigh it out. Set it aside.200 g grated carrots
- In a bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.240 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground all spice powder, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg powder, A pinch of ground cloves powder, 100 g granulated sugar, 100 g dark brown sugar
- In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, including the grated carrots, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined.100 g oil, 2 eggs, 70 g sour cream 14-18%, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently stir it all together, making sure there are no flour lumps left in the batter.
- Divide the cupcake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and bake them for 22-24 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the hot pan. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cupcakes from the cupcake pan and let them cool down completely on a wire rack.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Take the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge 10 minutes before starting. Cut the butter into cubes. Sift the powdered sugar.200 g butter, 100 g full-fat cream cheese, 360 g powdered sugar
- In your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter for 5 minutes on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter for 1 minute.½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and on low speed, mix the sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts, letting the powdered sugar mix in with butter and cream cheese before adding the next part. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix for 2 minutes on low speed.
ASSEMBLING
- Set aside a few tablespoons of frosting in two bowls. Add the remaining frosting to a piping bag with a star piping tip e.g. a Wilton 1M. Pip the frosting onto the cupcakes.
- Add orange gel food color to one of the bowls and green to the other bowl. Mix each frosting together and add each frosting to a piping bag, cutting a small hole at the end of the piping bags. Pipe small carrots on top of the cupcakes and enjoy!
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