Cupcakes are a favorite dessert of ours. They’re simple, they feed a crowd, and both kids and adults love them.
Since we love the flavors of Carrot Cake (especially for Easter), we wanted to have a classic version of carrot cake cupcakes. Today’s recipe is just that, a classic and so delicious.
The best part is the brown sugar cream cheese frosting that is out of this world! It’s the ideal complement to the carrot cake flavors with its sweet and tangy taste.
Although these cupcakes are a great Easter dessert, they can be enjoyed all year long! Try our Carrot Cake Cookies and Carrot Sheet Cake for more deliciously sweet versions.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- As easy as cake! Cupcakes are fun, easy, and great for feeding a crowd.
- Sweet and fluffy. You get that signature sweet and fluffy texture with just the right amount of spice.
- Perfectly frosted. Top it all off with some homemade brown sugar frosting, and you’ve got yourself one tasty treat!
Carrot Cake Cupcake Ingredients
Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour (1 ¼ cups) – Flour creates the soft crumb that holds in all the moisture.
- Baking soda (½+⅛ teaspoon) – Baking soda teams up with the other leaveners for a light texture.
- Baking powder (½+⅛ teaspoon) – Baking powder adds extra lift, ensuring the cupcakes bake up fluffy, not dense.
- Cinnamon (1 teaspoon) – Cinnamon is the classic carrot cake note everyone expects.
- Salt (¼ teaspoon) – Salt balances sweetness, sharpens the spice, and makes the flavors pop.
- Granulated sugar (1 cup) – Sugar helps create moisture and that delicate crumb.
- Eggs (2) – Eggs add richness and help the cupcakes set. For an egg-free version, use ½ cup applesauce.
- Canola oil (½ cup) – Canola oil keeps the crumb ultra moist. You can also use vegetable oil or baking olive oil.
- Sour cream (¼ cup) – Sour cream adds tang and tenderness, or use plain Greek yogurt.
- Vanilla extract (½ teaspoon) – Vanilla extract rounds out the spice and adds a cozy bakery aroma.
- Finely grated carrots (1½ cups) – Grated carrots add moisture, sweetness, and classic texture. Grate carrots using the fine side of a box grater. Do not use pre-packaged carrots as they are too dry.
Frosting
- Cream cheese, softened (8 ounces) – Cream cheese makes the frosting tangy and rich.
- Butter, softened (½ cup) – Butter helps it pipe and hold its shape. We used unsalted butter, but salted butter can be used.
- Brown sugar (⅔ cup) – Brown sugar deepens the frosting flavor. Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar can be used.
- Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons) – Vanilla extract warms the frosting flavor.
- Salt (dash) – Salt tempers sweetness in the frosting, salt keeps flavors from tasting flat. Omit if using salted butter.
- Powdered sugar (3 cups, more or less, if needed) – Powdered sugar sweetens and thickens to a pipeable consistency.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tin with paper liners.
BATTER. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl (or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment), beat sugar, eggs, and oil until thick and foamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add sour cream, vanilla, and finely grated carrots, and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just blended.
BAKE. Fill paper-liners about ⅔ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack.
FROSTING. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand-held electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar until smooth. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the brown sugar dissolves completely.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl, and add vanilla, salt, and enough powdered sugar to make a frosting thick enough to pipe.
- Use a large star tip for textured frosting or a large round tip to pipe on smooth frosting. If spreading the frosting instead of piping, cut the recipe in half and still have more than enough.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Grate carrots using the fine side of a box grater. Do not use pre-packaged carrots as they are too dry.
- Mix-ins. Add between ½ and 1 cup walnuts, pecans, and raisins to the batter.
- Topping – Top with chopped nuts or with adorable Carrot Chocolate Covered Strawberries.
- Mini cupcakes. Fill mini muffin liners halfway with batter (about 2 tablespoons). Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½+⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½+⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups finely grated carrots
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- dash salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar, more or less, if needed
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tin with paper liners.
- Whisk flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, eggs, and oil till thick and foamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and carrots, and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and stir till just blended.
- Fill cupcake paper liners about ⅔ full. The cupcakes do not rise too much, and that is just fine. It's easier to frost them that way! Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar until smooth. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the brown sugar dissolves completely.
- Add vanilla, salt, and enough powdered sugar to make a frosting thick enough to pipe. Use a large star tip to frost cupcakes.
Notes
- Grate carrots using the fine side of a box grater. Do not use pre-packaged carrots as they are too dry.
- Mix-ins. Add between ½ and 1 cup walnuts, pecans, and raisins to the batter.
- Topping – Top with chopped nuts or with adorable Carrot Chocolate Covered Strawberries.
- Mini cupcakes. Fill mini muffin liners halfway with batter (about 2 tablespoons). Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in a freezer bag in the freezer for 4-6 months. Store frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for 10-14 days or the freezer for 2 months.
Due to the cream cheese, frosted cupcakes need to be kept cold. Store covered in the fridge for 2-3 days or carefully freeze for 2-3 months.
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this recipe is phenomenal! My family loved them so much that I MADE THEM ALL THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAYS AND i PLAN ON BAKING SOME MORE THIS WEEK. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RECIPE. 🙂
I am so glad you like them!! Thank you for sharing this recipe with your family!
made it anD it’s delicious! My picky eater kid loved it, he repeatedly said ‘thank yoU Mom for the Super yummy cupCakes’! Thank You for sharing yoUr recIpe!
Oh, that makes me so happy to hear!! Thank you so much for letting me know!
I would lIke to make this cup cake, but I don’t have sour cream nor buttermilk, can I remove it?
My family loved the cupcakes. The cupcakes were gone in less than 24 hours. Just the right amount of sweetness in the icing. First time using sour cream in a carrot cake recipe, but it works. This recipe will be added to my monthly recipes to bake.
Yay!! Sour cream makes them so moist! I am glad your family loved them. Thank you so much!
Tried this recipe and everyone loved it! Best carrot cake recipe ever
Yay!! Love to hear that! Thank you so much for sharing that!
Made these as mini cupcakes over the weekend. Delicious! Followed recipe exactly, and put one tablespoon batter in each mini muffin, It made 48 mini’s exactly, and took about 16 minutes at 350 to bake. I did pipe the frosting, and probably ended up with about 1/4 of the frosting leftover.
Oh, and I also put some chopped pecans on top, because yum.
Glad you liked them!! Adding pecans is a great idea 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Hi, i was just wondering if i could use vegetable oil in place of the canola oil?
You sure could 🙂 I hope you like them!
Can I use oat flour for this recipe?
I have not tried, but I am sure you can 😉
This recipe was awesome. Super moist and the taste is OMG..sublime. I made one small change…just added 1/2 cup crushed pineapples and just used 1 cup carrots…but hands down one of the best carrot cakes recipes I’ve come across. great recipe!!! ????????????
Love hearing that!!! Thank you so much for sharing & giving it a try!
Hi, this sounds amazingly delicious and simple! I was wondering how much, if at all, you try to squeeze the moisture out of the shredded carrots before using them.
Yes, you can. I don’t think you need to though. It adds a little more moisture 🙂 But, you totally can, if you are worried about them being soggy.
Thx! 🙂