Carrot Cake Cupcakes

March 18, 2023 by Beth Pierce 81 Comments

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These delicious moist Carrot Cake Cupcakes with crushed pineapple and the perfect blend of spices, all topped with a homemade cream cheese frosting. They are one of my most requested potluck recipes and are perfect for parties, shindigs, bridal showers, and baby showers. My friends and family rant and rave about them. Please keep in mind this is a small-batch recipe, so you may want to double it.

These beautiful cupcakes are the cat’s meow with plenty of flavors from spices and cream cheese frosting! You know a cupcake is delicious when you can eat them endlessly without frosting. These easy-to-make carrot cupcakes are ideal for anyone looking for a little carrot cake fix without making the colossal three-layer cake. Sometimes my sweet hubby needs a little taste of one of his favorite desserts. So these come in so handy, and then I can donate the rest to my more than willing neighbors.

Carrot cupcakes are one of my most requested potluck recipes and are perfect for parties, shindigs, bridal showers, and baby showers.

How do you make Carrot Cake Cupcakes?

First, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger in a medium bowl. Set that aside for a few minutes. Next, beat the eggs, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the oil, vanilla, pineapple, and carrots. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined and evenly moistened. Add paper liners to a standard cupcake pan. Fill the cupcake liners almost all the way up with batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the top comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cupcakes completely on a wire rack before frosting them.

To make the frosting, using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Then, gradually add the powdered sugar until the frosting is creamy. Finally, frost the fully cooled cupcakes and sprinkle them with a few chopped walnuts.

Helpful tips for making Carrot Cake Cupcakes

This is a small batch recipe that makes 12 cupcakes.
Always preheat the oven and load the cupcakes on the middle rack in the center of the oven.
For best results, use cupcake liners, so they don’t stick.
Peel your carrots first and use an old-fashioned box grater to grate the carrots. It is really a matter of preference what size grate you would like to use. With cupcakes, I use the small grater blade.
Other nuts that you might consider substituting or adding include pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, or macadamia nuts. If you don’t like nuts try raisins.
Plan in advance and soften the cream cheese and butter for the frosting.
If you choose not to pipe on the frosting, then cut the frosting ingredients in half. You will not need that much if frosting the cupcakes with a knife.
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

The best carrot cupcake recipe with crushed pineapple and the perfect blend of spices all topped with a delectable four-ingredient white chocolate cream cheese frosting.

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