BEST Carrot Cake Cupcakes
The best Carrot Cake Cupcakes are moist 'n tender, with irresistible crumb bursting with sweet spiced flavor and carrot goodness! Topped with dreamy, supple and thick cream cheese frosting, this homemade carrot cupcakes recipe is perfect for Easter, birthdays, and dessert.
Servings: 16 cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce room temp
- ¾ cup light or dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-Ins
- 1 ½ cups grated carrots 160g (about 3 medium carrots)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional, save some for topping
- ¼ cup raisins optional but recommended
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 batch cream cheese frosting makes enough to frost about 16 cupcakes medium high
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with 16 liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: oil, applesauce, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fully combined.
- Transfer the wet mixture into the dry ingredients bowl, scraping the bowl clean. Whisk until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in carrots, walnuts and raisins until fully incorporated.
- Spoon the batter into cupcake liners, filling about ¾ of the way. Do not overfill to avoid a mess.
- Bake for 21-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Mine took 24 minutes, I like mine with a crispy top.*
- Cool cupcakes in the pan for 7 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to completely. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting.
- After cooling completely, frost with this Ateco 808 piping tip. Optionally, top with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts (use a little of the walnut “dust”—the crumbly bits, it’s pretty!)
- ★ Last Step: If you made this recipe, leave a comment and review. It truly helps our small business keep running and it helps readers like you!
Notes
*To test for doneness, poke a toothpick into the center of a cupcake, if it comes out clean, the cupcake is done. The top of the cupcake can still be slightly moist as long as the center is done.
Storing Instructions: Carrot cake cupcakes can stay at room temperature for 1-3 hours with cream cheese frosting. After, they’ll need to be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Freezing Instructions: Store cupcakes in an airtight, freezer-friendly container for 1-3 months in the freezer.