The easiest to make fluffy and moist carrot cake cupcakes come together in one bowl with a homemade, aromatic spice cake base. Filled with freshly grated carrots and topped generously with swirls of velvety cream cheese frosting, carrot cupcakes are decorated simply with toasted coconut and Robin Eggs candies. While carrot cake is synonymous with springtime and holidays like Easter, these cupcakes are so good, you’ll want to give them a permanent spot in your dessert repertoire.
Carrot cake in cupcake form is here to stay and I am one hundred percent okay with that! I appreciate the ease and convenience of having a portable ‘to-go’ carrot cake option that not only bakes effortlessly in muffin tins, but also simplifies dessert transportation.
This from scratch, one-bowl recipe has all the classic spiced cake flavors – cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, with all the natural sweetness of fresh carrots. The crowning touch is the tangy, cream cheese frosting on top.
Why I Love This Carrot Cake Cupcake Recipe
- Ingredients: It uses staple ingredients I already have in my kitchen.
- Time Saving: I appreciate that cupcakes bake faster than cake layers, which ups the ease factor.
- Clean-Up: This is a one-bowl recipe, another reason it’s so easy to put together and I’m never stuck doing a million dishes.
- Choices: The frosting can be applied with a piping bag or swiped on with a knife – whatever I’m feeling at the moment.
- Undemanding Décor: Toasted coconut and Robin Eggs are uncomplicated, but festive toppers.
For Light and Airy Cupcakes, Grate Your Own Carrots
If you want to perfectly moist and delicious carrot cupcakes (and who doesn’t), it comes down to grating the carrots yourself. When you use a box grater, the carrots are shredded finely and retain their natural moisture, resulting in a tender texture and an intense carrot flavor after baking. I know using pre-shredded carrots from the store might seem like an easy shortcut, but you’ll need to microwave them to make them soft enough for the cupcakes, and this can cause the flavor to become more “cooked.” or vegetal. So, if you want the best results, it’s definitely worth the extra effort to grate your own fresh carrots.
Key Ingredients that Make a Difference
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar contributes to the moisture in this recipe, even more so than white sugar. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger add the expected warmth and depth to any carrot cake recipe.
- Canola Oil: Flavorless oil like canola is not only what keeps these cupcakes moist, but does not compete with any of the other flavors in these cupcakes.
- Fresh Carrots: Freshly grated carrots are the star of the show here. They also contribute to the “bulk” in this recipe, which is why you can use less flour than you would normally see in other baked goods. If you’re not a carrot fan, freshly grated apple or zucchini are great substitutes.
- Pecans: I personally love pecans or walnuts in my carrot cake, but feel free to leave them out for a nut-free version.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Preheat oven and prepare your baking tin.
- Combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or stand mixer on low until fully blended.
- To the bowl add canola oil, beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated, but be sure not to overmix the batter. Fold in carrots and chopped pecans.
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Distribute batter into cupcake liners, 2/3 of the way up.
- Bake for 21-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a slight bit of cooked batter. Aim for a golden top and a springy texture when pressed.
- Take cupcakes out of the oven and transfer them from the pan to a cooling rack until fully cooled.
- Cream cheese frosting and topping instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
What Other Frostings Can I Use?
- Try this orange whipped cream frosting from my orange cupcakes.
- This goat cheese frosting from my carrot apple cake is EQUALLY amazing.
- The sour cream-cream cheese frosting I use on my banana cake would be perfect for carrot cake.
- Pineapple-cream cheese frosting and carrot cake are one of the best combos.
Recipe Notes For Cupcakes with Carrot
- For an extra nutty crunch I will sprinkle ½ cup of pecans or walnuts on top of the cupcakes after frosting in lieu of the coconut and Robin’s Eggs candies.
- If I want to add chewy sweetness, I fold in ½ cup of golden raisins into the batter before baking.
- I’ve sometimes added 2 tablespoons of chopped, crystallized ginger to the batter for a fun twist.
- For a perfectly textured batter, mix the ingredients by hand or a stand mixer rather than using a hand mixer.
- For a larger batch, I double the recipe to make 24 delicious cupcakes.
- To create mini bite-sized cupcakes, use muffin tins designed for smaller portions.
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions
- You can prepare plain cupcakes a day ahead, store them covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Likewise, make frosting a day ahead, cover it, and refrigerate.
- If the frosting becomes thick/stiff after refrigerating, beat it with your mixer for a minute to loosen it.
- Both frosted and unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for 2–3 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
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Easy Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cupcakes:
- 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup canola oil or other vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, beaten, room temperature
- 2 tsps. vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater, about 2-3 medium carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/8 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Toppings:
Instructions
Carrot Cake Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Add cupcake liners to a cupcake baking pan.
- In a large bowl add all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix with a wooden spoon or stand mixer on low, until fully incorporated. (Use a fork if you need to break down the brown sugar so it incorporates if you are mixing by hand.)1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp table salt, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- To the bowl add canola oil, beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated, but be sure not to overmix the batter. Fold in carrots and chopped pecans.3/4 cup canola oil, 2 large eggs, beaten, room temperature, 2 tsps. vanilla extract, 1-1/2 cups peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater, about 2-3 medium carrots, 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- Distribute batter into cupcake liners, 2/3 of the way up.
- Bake for 21-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a little bit of cooked batter on it. (You do not want a completely clean toothpick. You are looking for a golden top and when pressed will be springy.)
- Remove cupcakes from oven and remove individual cupcakes from the pan, placing on a cooling rack until completely cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large bowl, slowly beat together cream cheese, whipping cream and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners' sugar and begin beating on low speed until light and airy.6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, 1/8 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- You can frost the cupcakes by spooning the icing on top or use a piping bag with the frosting tip of your choice.
Toppings:
- Preheat the oven to 325° F.
- Spread the shredded coconut in a thin layer onto a large baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes. Stir every few minutes to make sure the flakes toast evenly and not burn. When the coconut is toasted to your liking, move to a bowl to cool and stop the cooking process.1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
- Gently dip each frosted cupcake into the toasted coconut flakes and place three Robin Egg candies on top of each cupcake.36 Robin Eggs, 3 per cupcake
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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