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A serving of carrot cake cup cake with cream cheese frosting

Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting:

The classic carrot cake is a dessert that never grows old. This recipe for Carrot Cake Cupcakes is loaded with freshly grated carrots and spiced with cinnamon and ginger. These tender, moist cupcakes get topped with the ever-popular cream cheese frosting.
This recipe makes 12 jumbo cupcakes, 24 standard cupcakes, or 80 mini cupcakes.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 24 Cupcakes
Calories: 354kcal
Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

  • 2 cups 240 grams all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
  • ½ cup brown sugar 100 grams
  • 1-¼ cup vegetable oil 247 grams
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 cups freshly grated carrots 340 grams
  • 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts optional

Frosting:

  • 2 sticks butter softened
  • 2 pkgs. 8 oz. each cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 cups 460 grams confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) sifted

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and place cupcake wrappers into the cavities of a muffin pan.  Spray the wrappers with non-stick cooking spray, and set them aside.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl with either a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together until fluffy.
  • Reduce the mixer to low and add the flour mixture. Blend until all the flour mixture is incorporated, do not over mix.
  • Stop the mixer and stir in the carrots and walnuts by hand with a rubber spatula.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared wrappers to about 3/4 full.
  • Transfer to the oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes for mini cupcakes, 20 to 23 minutes for regular-sized cupcakes, or 30-35 minutes for jumbo cupcakes. A toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes should come out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then lift the cupcakes out and set them on a wire rack to finish cooling.  

Frosting: 

  • Place the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy.  
  • Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. 

Notes

  • If you want to pipe the frosting in a swirl as it looks in the photos, you will need to double the recipe if you make jumbo cupcakes.
  • Let the cream cheese and butter soften up at room temperature before you begin. If they are cold when you start then you will get lumpy frosting.
  • To soften butter quickly, grate it with a cheese grater.
  • To soften cream cheese quickly, cut it into small cubes and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. The smaller you cube the cream cheese, the quicker it will soften.
  • When you add the powdered sugar, stir it in slowly at the beginning and increase the speed gradually. If you start the mixer at high speed then the powdered sugar will fly out of the bowl.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 183mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g