Simple to make and so delicious, these carrot cake cupcakes are too good not to try! Moist carrot cakes topped with a rich cream cheese frosting for a delicious bakery-style treat.
The Best Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
What’s better than a carrot cake? Carrot cake cupcakes of course!
These super cute cupcakes are perfect for an Easter treat, or enjoy them all year round, because they are that good!
Perfectly sweet carrot cake cupcakes are topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with nuts for one delicious bite. I just know you will love these!
For more Easter treats, be sure to try my bird’s nest cookies and bunny bait snack mix
Why You’ll Love this Carrot Cake Cupcake Recipe:
- Quick: You can make up a batch of these cupcakes in around 35 minutes! Perfect when you have no patience for treats!
- Simple: Easy to make with basic ingredients, this is a great recipe that your kids can help you out with.
- Make Ahead: These cupcakes are great to make ahead of time to serve them for celebrations.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting from Scratch
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Mix together the wet ingredients and add the dry.
- Fold in the fruits and nuts.
- Transfer the batter to cupcake wrappers and bake.
- Mix together the ingredients for the frosting.
- Pipe onto the cup cakes and sprinkle with walnuts.
The oil in carrot cake helps to keep the cakes super moist, and it means you don’t have to spend time creaming butter. If you do want to use butter, you will need to use the same amount of melted butter to get the same results.
The frosted cupcakes will keep well covered in the refrigerator for 3 days. Unfrosted, these carrot cake cupcakes will keep well for up to 5 days. Carrot cake is very moist. You can easily make the cakes ahead of time and then frost them just before serving.
Yes, these freeze well. Although if you plan on that, I recommend you freeze them unfrosted and they’ll be easier to store. Place the cooled cupcakes into an airtight container, with the layers separated with parchment. They will keep well for up to 3 months.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- This recipe will frost 24 cupcakes with a spreading method or a piped rosette. If a fluffy swirl (similar to what was used in the photos) is desired then double this frosting recipe. Wilton tip 1M was used for the piping in the photos.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake papers as the batter will rise in the oven. Fill them ¾ of the way.
I just know that you are going to adore these carrot cake cupcakes as much as we do! They make for such a cute dessert, and who doesn’t love carrot cake?!
More Cupcake Recipes We Love
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Best Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking soda 12 grams
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 6 grams
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup vegetable oil 200 grams
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar 350 grams
- 3 large eggs 150 grams
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 6 grams
- 2 cups grated carrots 180 grams (about 2 large carrots)
- 1 cup crushed walnuts 113 grams
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut 43 grams
- ¼ cup crushed pineapple 43 grams, well-drained
- ½ cup raisins 75 grams (optional)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese 454 grams, room temperature (2 bricks)
- 1½ cups powdered sugar 170 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- ½ cup crushed walnuts 57 grams, for topping (optional)
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Piping Tip Set (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12-count cupcake pan with a nonstick baking spray or line the wells with cupcake wrappers.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs. Add the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, add in the vanilla, and mix until well combined. Fold in the carrots, walnuts, coconut, pineapple, and optional raisins.1 cup vegetable oil, 1¾ cups granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 2 cups grated carrots, 1 cup crushed walnuts, ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, ¼ cup crushed pineapple, ½ cup raisins
- Fill the wells or cupcake wrappers ¾ of the way full. Bake for 19-21 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes and then move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Once the cupcakes are cooled completely, prepare the frosting.
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread the cupcakes with frosting and top with some crushed walnuts. If the cupcakes will be piped and the frosting is too soft, add another ½ cup of powdered sugar to the frosting and blend it in well.16 ounces cream cheese, 1½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ cup crushed walnuts
Notes
- Don’t overfill the cupcake papers as the batter will rise in the oven. Fill them 3/4 of the way.
- This will frost 24 cupcakes with a spreading method or a piped rosette. If a fluffy swirl (similar to what was used in the photos) is desired then double this frosting recipe. Wilton tip 1M was used for the piping in the photos.
I would like to replace the coconut and pineapple.if possible. Thanks
This recipe is amazing not just the outcome but the way it’s set up I don’t have to jump back and forth to the measurements and directions (the measurements are found under the instructions as well) amazing!
I’m so glad to hear that!