Posted Mar 06, 2023, Updated Mar 18, 2024 These carrot cake cupcakes are an irresistibly delicious spring dessert. They are light with a perfect crumb, and richly flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. Plus, they’re easy to make in one bowl – no mixer required. Topped with the best cream cheese frosting, you will not be able to eat just one! I adapted them from my recipe for the best carrot cake, because cupcakes are easier to serve to a crowd than slicing a cake – making these perfect for all your spring celebrations like Easter, Mother’s Day, etc.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes: Ingredients & Substitutions
All-purpose flour. cake flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour. Salted butter. Unsalted butter, canola oil or coconut oil are acceptable substitutes for salted butter. I recommend using butter for the best flavor. Granulated sugar. organic cane sugar or regular white sugar are both good choices. Light brown sugar. for a richer molasses taste, use dark brown sugar. Unsweetened applesauce. canola oil can be used in place of applesauce. Cream cheese frosting. See this post for possible substitutions. You could use regular vanilla frosting if you prefer.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Follow along as I walk through how to make carrot cake cupcakes step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video. Begin by grating the carrots. I prefer to use the finest grating size. You can also shred them in a food processor. Next, combine the dry ingredients (not the sugars) in a small bowl and set it aside. Note. If you want to make this recipe in one bowl, you can wait and measure the dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients after they are mixed. Then, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps. Once the mixture is smooth, add the eggs, applesauce, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Next, add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth. Finally, stir in the carrots and desired mix-ins (optional) until evenly distributed throughout the batter. We are carrot cake purists, and prefer not to add mix ins. But if you would like to add some here are my suggestions:
Nuts (pecans and walnuts) Raisins Shredded Coconut
Bake
Once the batter is finished, fill each prepared cupcake liner with ¼ cup of the batter. Then, bake the carrot cake cupcakes in the preheated oven until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Cool
Place baking pans on a wire cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting:
While the cupcakes are baking, make the cream cheese frosting. I have an entire post on how to make cream cheese frosting, definitely check it out!
Frost
When the carrot cake cupcakes are cooled, frost them with this homemade cream cheese frosting and serve! You can also use this homemade vanilla frosting, but cream cheese is my preference. I use the following tools to decorate cupcakes:
Piping bags – I have both reusable and disposable piping bags and use them all the time. Piping tips and couplers – I recommend a great starter tip and coupler set. However the Wilton 1M tip and large coupler are my favorite – and can be used in so many ways.
Store
Store these homemade carrot cake cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Serve at room temperature.
To Freeze
It’s really easy to bake and freeze these cupcakes. Simply follow the recipe and let them cool completely. Then transfer the unfrosted cupcakes to an airtight container and freeze in a single layer until you’re ready to frost and serve. Thaw them at room temperature (do not microwave or heat in the oven). If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
