These are hands down the best carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting you will ever find. They’re moist without being dense and have just the right amount of flavor. Add nuts or leave them out – it’s up to you!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
I find that you can tell a lot about someone by the type of carrot cake they make. I find that those who enjoy pineapple and coconut in their carrot cake are a little more flamboyant and unpredictable than the average baker and likely have a tiki shirt in their closet.
Others prefer orange juice – modernizing the classics and mixing cocktails with them.
My favorite: carrot cake cupcakes
I like to think of myself as inventive, weird and maybe even quirky – My carrot cake is a carrot cupcake (I also like to think I’m a little adorable). Toasted walnuts add a certain bittersweet and earthy flavor to the cupcakes. Cinnamon and a good dose of cardamom give it a distant novelty, made all the more intriguing by the floral and lemony finish of the orange peel.
Drizzled with some cream cheese frosting, it’s a carrot cupcake that emulates the old days with a twist of the modern. A funky cupcake that everyone’s personality will appreciate.
So what does your carrot cake say about you?
So many of you have made this recipe over the years and shared your versions with us! Here are a few favorites everyone should try:
- Don’t like nuts? Skip them!
- Don’t like cream cheese frosting? Make regular buttercream!
- Don’t have (or like) cardamom? Omit it or add extra cinnamon
- Add some raisins – rehydrate them in some water before mixing them into the batter
- Add 1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes or sprinkle some on top
- Add a drizzle of Grand Marnier to the batter, glaze, or both!
Here’s how to store these cupcakes
The cupcakes can be baked (but not frozen) for a day or two before you plan to serve them. Wait until the day you plan to serve the frosting, then serve within a few hours.
Leftover frozen cupcakes should be refrigerated. Let them come to room temperature before enjoying.
Do you love carrot cake? Try these recipes!
- carrot cake
- Apple and carrot cake
- zucchini bread
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Grandma’s zucchini pie
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
ingredients
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1 cup (100G) hacked walnuts
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1 pound (450G) carrots (about 3 1/2 cups), grated
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3 big eggs
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1/2 Cup (120ml) buttermilkor add a teaspoon of lemon juice to regular milk and let stand for 10 minutes
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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2 cups (400G) sugar
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1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
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1 tablespoon Orange peel
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3 cups (400G) all purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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2 teaspoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
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1 teaspoon Cinammon
Cream Cheese Frosting:
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1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
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16 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese
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2 cups Powdered sugar, sieved
method
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Roast walnuts:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Roast the walnuts in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
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Line 2 standard (12 cavity) cupcake pans with cupcake liners
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Mix wet ingredients and carrots:
Combine buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Then stir in the grated carrots.
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Mix dry ingredients:
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon.
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Fold dry ingredients into wet, add walnuts:
Fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture, being careful not to mix too much. Fold in the toasted walnuts until evenly incorporated.
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Bake:
Scoop the batter into cupcake papers and fill them about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake for 19-21 minutes at 350°F, rotating the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the cupcake tin and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Prepare glaze:
Beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until well combined. Sift in the powdered sugar and stir. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 422 | calories |
| 27g | Fat |
| 42g | carbohydrates |
| 5g | protein |
