Get ready to bake the most irresistible carrot cake cupcakes you've ever tasted!
This recipe delivers the perfect balance of spice, moistness, and tangy frosting, promising a treat so good, you'll want to discover every secret ingredient.
Key Ingredients
Let's talk key ingredients for these awesome carrot cake cupcakes! We're gonna need flour—1 1/3 cups. It's the base, ya know? Gotta have 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda; don't grab baking powder by mistake! A pinch—1/4 teaspoon—of salt's next, and 1 1/4 teaspoons of cinnamon for that warm spice we crave.
For the wet mixture, I use 1/2 cup of milk—whole milk is best, but we can get away with low-fat! Add 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar—or lemon juice if you're feeling fancy! Two large eggs at room temperature and 1 cup of brown sugar come next. Don't forget 1/3 cup of vegetable oil or canola oil! These assist in creating a cake with the desired moist texture.
For the stir-ins, you'll need 1 1/3 cups of shredded carrot, 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut, and 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.
Baking Instructions
Now that we've gathered all our goodies, it's time to preheat the oven to 350°F—all oven types work. I've tested this recipe every which way, and I can confidently say, "No oven left behind!" Oh, and don't forget to line your 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Remember that pineapple juice we reserved? Time to add just 2 tablespoons back into the wet ingredients. Let's pour the wet into the dry and stir until *just* combined. It's okay if it looks a little lumpy; those are our stir-ins! Just like chocolate cupcakes, ensuring the batter is not overmixed is key for tenderness.
Now, divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin holes. I've found that a 3-tablespoon ice cream scoop works wonders—trust me!
Pop your cupcakes in the oven for about 20 minutes. Don't worry if they're not perfect. We will soon start the cream cheese.
Cream Cheese Frosting Guide
I'm ready to plunge into the cream cheese frosting—the best part, if you ask me! First, cream 6 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter with a mixer until smooth. Don't skip scraping the sides – lumpy frosting? No, thanks!
Next, beat in 6 ounces of room-temperature cream cheese until it's all smooth and dreamy. Seriously, room temperature is key! Nobody wants lumpy frosting—it's a texture thing, trust me.
Now, gradually add 3 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar. Start slow – I'm talking *slow* otherwise you'll be wearing a cloud of sugar. Beat it on high for 2 minutes until fluffy. Vanilla time: 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, plus 1/8 teaspoon of salt, then mix it up.
Finally, pipe this masterpiece onto those cooled cupcakes, sprinkle with chopped nuts if you're feeling fancy.
Tips and Storage
I've got a few extra tips to make your carrot cake cupcakes even better and keep them fresh!
First, guarantee your ingredients are at room temperature. It really helps everything mix together smoothly! Don't overmix the batter—it's okay if it's a little lumpy; that's just the carrots and pineapple doing their thing.
To store these little guys, pop 'em in an airtight container. They'll stay fresh at room temperature for a day or two. But, if you wanna keep 'em longer, I recommend storing them in the fridge—especially if it's hot and humid where you are. Nobody likes a melty cupcake!
They taste best if you take them out about 10 minutes before eating though, so the frosting has a little time to soften back up. Enjoy!
Short Recipe Version
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serving Size: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the grated carrots.
- Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth and creamy.
- Frost cooled cupcakes.
Nutrition Information (per serving, estimated):
- Calories: 350
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
- Sodium: 200mg
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Sugar: 30g
- Protein: 3g