Our favorite carrot cake recipe inspires these easy carrot cake cupcakes. It’s been made and loved by thousands of bakers! Many of you asked for a cupcake version, and here it is! These carrot cake cupcakes are simple and use basic pantry ingredients. If you have a couple of bowls and can stir, you can make them!
Key Ingredients
Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but you can replace some with whole wheat or white whole wheat flour. You can also swap the flour for your favorite gluten-free blend for gluten-free cupcakes. Baking soda: Helps the cupcakes to rise. Check that your baking soda has not been open for longer than 6 months (it loses its potency after that). Spices: Salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and vanilla extract make our cupcakes taste amazing. Oil: Keeps our cupcakes moist. Any neutral-flavored oil will work. Melted coconut oil works, but the baked cake will have a light coconut flavor. Sugar: Makes the cake moist, light, and delicious. I love a combination of white and brown sugar. If you only want to use one, choose brown sugar since it has the necessary acid to react with the baking soda. Eggs: Give the cupcakes structure. Carrots: Lots of carrots make these the best carrot cake cupcakes. I like to hand-grate my carrots since I prefer the texture, but you can use your food processor or buy pre-grated carrots from the store. Pecans and raisins are optional! Some people love nuts and raisins in carrot cake, while others cannot stand to add them. These are entirely optional, so go with what you love.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
I love how easy this carrot cake recipe is! You don’t need any special equipment, and the batter bakes up in minutes. I always start with the dry ingredients, giving them a good whisk. Be extra careful when mixing in the baking soda. Any clumps might cause spots of your carrots to turn green (still edible, just not as pretty). I whisk the wet ingredients in another bowl, then gently fold everything together. Once the batter is blended, it’s time to fold in your carrots and any optional nuts or raisins. This carrot cake cupcake recipe makes 12 perfect cupcakes. I use a standard cupcake pan and bake them at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes. Let them cool completely before adding my delicious, traditional cream cheese frosting!
Storing Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Carrot cake cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze them, line unfrosted cupcakes up on a baking sheet and freeze until hard. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting and serving. 1 teaspoon baking soda, important to level the teaspoon, see tips 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, see tips 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, optional 1/2 cup (118ml) canola or other vegetable oil 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar 1/2 cup (105g) light or dark brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 ½ cups (150g) grated peeled carrots, 2 to 3 medium carrots 1/4 cup (35g) coarsely chopped pecans, optional 1/4 cup (35g) raisins, optional 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch fine sea salt 1 ½ cups (165g) powdered sugar or confectioners sugar, plus more as needed Pinch ground cinnamon or ground cardamom, optional 1/4 cup (35g) coarsely chopped pecans, optional 2In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and the nutmeg until well blended. 3In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, sugars, and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until combined. 4Switch to a large rubber spatula. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, gently stirring until they disappear and the batter is smooth. 5Stir in the carrots, nuts, and raisins. 6Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling about 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes are springy when touched and when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. 7Cool cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack and cool them completely before frosting. 2For the creamiest frosting, sift the powdered sugar or whisk until most large lumps are gone. 3Beat in the powdered sugar, a 1/4 cup at a time, until fluffy. Add an additional 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of powdered sugar for a thicker frosting. 4To make spiced frosting, beat in a pinch of ground cinnamon or cardamom. 5Frost the cooled cupcakes and, if you’d like, top with coarsely chopped pecans.
