These super cute bakery-style carrot cake cupcakes are a must this Easter! Simple to make, they are perfectly moist and topped with a cream cheese frosting.
Carrot Cake Cupcake Recipe
Easter is just around the corner and these delicious cupcakes make for such a fun treat!
Made from scratch, moist and slightly spiced carrot cake is topped with perfectly sweet frosting. The whole family will love these!
If carrot cake is your thing, be sure to check out my homemade carrot cake, carrot cake sandwich cookies, and carrot cake bars.
Why you’ll love these Carrot Cake Cupcakes:
- KID FRIENDLY: Kids will not only love to eat these, but they are simple to make so they can give you a hand making them too!
- EASY: There’s nothing too complicated about these delicious treats! Mix the batter, bake and frost!
- QUICK: It only takes about 10 minutes to make these cupcakes before they get baked. Perfect for a last minute dessert!
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How to make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Mix together the dry ingredients and set aside.
- Whisk together the sugars and oil, whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
- Add in the carrot and pineapple and stir in the dry ingredients.
- Fill a muffin tin with the batter and bake.
- Mix together the ingredients for the frosting.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
How long do they keep?
Because these carrot cake cupcakes are so moist, they have quite a good shelf life. store the frosted cupcakes in the fridge in an airtight container and they will keep well for up to a week.
You can store them unfrosted this way too and frost them when you are ready to serve.
Can you freeze them?
If you want to freeze these cupcakes, it’s best to do so before you have frosted them. Place the cooled cupcakes in an airtight container, with the layers separated by parchment. They will keep well for up to 3 months.
Thaw the frozen cupcakes at room temperature for a couple of hours before frosting.
Why do you put oil in carrot cake?
Unlike lots of cakes, carrot cake is oil based rather than butter based. This makes it super moist and also increases the shelf life. It also means that you can miss the ‘creaming the butter’ step, which is always welcome! Vegetable or canola oil is the best to use.
Tips!
- I used a piping bag with a Wilton 1M tip to frost the cupcakes.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake papers as the batter will rise in the oven. Fill them 3/4 of the way through.
- Don’t over mix the batter when you add the flour. Over mixing can cause the gluten to over develop, it should be just combined.
I just know you are going to adore these carrot cake cupcakes! So simple and easy to make and super delicious!
More Cupcake Recipes we Love
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Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 270 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking soda 12 grams
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 grams
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup brown sugar 213 grams
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- ¾ cup vegetable oil 150 grams
- 3 large eggs 150 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 2½ cups finely grated carrots 203 grams (from about 7 carrots)
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple 337 grams, drained (1 small can or 1¼ cups)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese 227 grams, room temperature (1 brick)
- ½ cup salted butter 113 grams, room temperature (1 stick)
- 2½ cups powdered sugar 283 grams, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 28 grams, optional (or whole milk)
Recommended Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Piping Tip Set (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 12-count muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, salt, ginger, and cardamom together; set aside.2¼ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- In a separate bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and oil together until combined.1 cup brown sugar, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup vegetable oil
- Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Stir in the carrots and crushed pineapple.2½ cups finely grated carrots, 8 ounces crushed pineapple
- Pour in the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Fill the prepared muffin cups with batter until ⅔ full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting.
For the frosting
- Using a hand mixer, cream the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until fluffy.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup salted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2½ cups powdered sugar
- If needed, add in 1-2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream or milk until you reach your desired consistency.2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Using a small spatula, spread the frosting onto the cupcakes. It can also be piped using a piping bag or a Ziplock baggie with a small corner cut off.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- I used a piping bag with a Wilton 1M tip to frost the cupcakes.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake papers as the batter will rise in the oven. Fill them 3/4 of the way through.
- Don’t over mix the batter when you add the flour. Over mixing can cause the gluten to over develop, it should be just combined.
Nutrition Information
