Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

With just the perfect hint of spice and topped with rich homemade cream cheese frosting, these moist carrot cake cupcakes are the perfect dessert for Easter or any occasion.

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Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake is one of my favorite kinds of dessert, especially when topped with an amazingly delicious cream cheese frosting. Talk about a sweet tooth lover’s dream. Yes, please! This recipe isn’t just about sugary goodness, though. It is also chalked full of plenty of healthy, fresh grated carrots. Now, who says vegetables can’t be tasty? 

Okay, so maybe these carrot cake cupcakes aren’t the best way to get in your daily serving of veggies, but they are perfect for Easter or anytime you are craving something sweet.

With just the right hint of spices, these light and fluffy cupcakes are extra moist thanks to a secret ingredient (more on that in just a minute). Here a list of everything you need to make your own.

Ingredients for Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

For The Carrot Cake Cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil 
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2  eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 and 1/2 cups freshly grated carrots

For The Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

The Secret To Moist Cupcakes

What’s the secret to getting moist cupcakes every time? Sour cream! Sour cream helps add more moisture to your batter without making it too thin or runny. If you don’t have sour cream, plain Greek yogurt is another great option.

Cupcake Add Ins

You can also add nuts and raisins to your carrot cake batter. Just add 1/3 cup of one (or both) if you would like to add a little extra texture to your cupcakes. For this recipe, I sprinkled in some chopped walnuts, but you can also use pecans.

I opted NOT to use raisins. I feel like rains are either one of those things that you love or that you hate. There is rarely a middle ground. Did you ever reach in your grandma’s cookie jar as a child expecting to bite into sweet morsels of chocolatey goodness, only to be deeply disappointed and find out that you got duped? Yep… me too. And that is why, in my kitchen, there is no place for raisins in baked goods. There are not many hills I am willing to die one, but this, my friends, is one of them.

Instructions for Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

How To Make The Cupcakes

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Step 2

Next, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

Step 3

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Set the wet ingredients aside and wash and shred your carrots. When finished, gently stir the grated carrots in the batter. I used a good old handheld box grater to shred my carrots, but you can also use a plant grater or a food processor with a shredding blade.

Step 4

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Then stir in the chopped nuts and raisins (if desired).

Step 5

Carefully pour or spoon the carrot cake batter into the cupcake liners, only filling each liner about 2/3 of the way full. Place in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 6

When done, remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool slightly for about 2-3 minutes in the pan.

Then, carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

How To Make Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

Step 1

Add the cream cheese and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to cream together until smooth.

Step 2

Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until fully combined. You may need to stop mixing once in a while to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Step 3

Once the cupcakes have cooled, go ahead and frost away! I wanted to give my cupcakes a fancy swirl design, so I brushed up on my old 4-H cake decorating skills and got to work.

To create the swirl, I added my frosting to a decorating bag fitted with a tip. Then I slowly added a dollop to each cupcake, and tada! Pretty carrot cake cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting swirl. You can also use a frosting knife or butter knife for a more simple look. Any way you frost them, these carrot cake cupcakes are delish!

Tips For The Best Creamy Frosting

For the best cream cheese frosting, make sure to let your butter soften fully before mixing with the rest of the ingredients. Butter that is too hard will leave lumps in your frosting. (Trust me. I know from experience.) Lumpy frosting = bad frosting.

For the cream cheese, I suggest using the full-fat version. I have made this frosting using non-fat cream cheese, but I found it to be runnier and not as flavorful. And, at this point, what’s a few extra calories?

How To Store The Cupcakes

To keep the cupcakes fresh and the frosting from spoiling, place uneaten cupcakes in an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

I hope you enjoyed this recipe for carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Where do you stand on the raisins in baked goods debate? I’m curious to know, so tell me your thoughts in the comments.

If you love desserts like me, you might also like my recipe for double chocolate zucchini bread or my easy berry trifle made with angel food cake, fresh berries, and whipped cream! As always, don’t forget to pin this recipe for later, or share it with your friends.

Enjoy!

Recipe for Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

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