Carrot Cake Cupcakes

These homemade carrot cake cupcakes, with cream cheese frosting, are so easy to make from scratch! These moist, tender treats taste even better than they look!

These cupcakes are so incredibly most and tender, and not too sweet! Paired with the cream cheese frosting, the flavors are perfectly balanced.

How to make Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (Photo 1).

In a separate large bowl, whisk together 4 eggs, 3/4 cup buttermilk, 3/4 cup oil, and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (Photo 2).

A little at a time, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until thoroughly mixed (Photo 3).

Stir in 3 cups grated carrots and 1 cup chopped pecans (Photo 4).

Artzy Foodie Pro Tip: To quickly grate the carrots, add the carrots to a food processor fitted with the grating blade.

Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and fill each one 3/4 full with the batter (Photo 5).

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool (Photo 6).

Artzy Foodie Pro Tip: For a two layer carrot cake, divide the batter between two greased and floured round 9 inch cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Making The Cream Cheese Frosting

To make the cream cheese frosting, use an electric mixer and beat 3/4 cup softened butter with 12 ounces room temperature cream cheese (Photo 7).

Add 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp salt. With the mixer on low, beat until the powdered sugar is incorporated, then turn the mixer speed up and beat until smooth (Photo 8).

Frosting the cupcakes

Add the frosting to a piping bag with your favorite tip and pipe the frosting in a circular pattern. Finally, top with your favorite sprinkles.

Artzy Foodie Pro Tip: If you don’t have a piping bag or a tip, fill a ziplock bag with frosting, cut a small amount off a corner from the bottom of the bag, and pipe on the frosting.

Storage

Any recipe with cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated. Store frosted cupcakes, covered, in the refrigerator for 5 days. Unfrosted cupcakes can be covered and left out for 2 days.

The frosting can be made and stored separately in the refrigerator so that the cupcakes can be frosted just before serving. Be sure to remove the frosting from the refrigerator an hour before frosting so that it will soften.

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Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Moist tender cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

24 Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups carrots grated, about 5-6 carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans

For the Frosting

• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Line a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers
• In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
• In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla
• Add the dry ingredients, a little at a time until thoroughly mixed
• Stir in the carrots and the nuts

For the Frosting

• With an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until creamy
• Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla
• With the mixer on low, beat until the powdered sugar in incorporated, then turn mixer speed up and beat until smooth

Notes

To quickly grate the carrots, add the carrots to a food processor fitted with a grating blade.

For a two layer cake, divide the batter between two greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

If you don't have a piping bag, fill a zip lock bag with frosting, cut a small amount off a corner from the bottom of the bag, and pipe on the frosting.

Store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator for 5 days. Unfrosted cupcakes can be covered and left out for 2 days.

The frosting can be made and stored separately in the refrigerator so that the cupcakes can be frosted just before serving. Be sure to remove the frosting from the refrigerator and hour before frosting so that it will soften.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cupcake | Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 378mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 3095IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword(s): Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Cupcakes

Recipe Author: Niki Medlin

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