Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Print PinServings: 16 servings
Total Time: 40 minutes
Calories: 377kcal
These carrot cake cupcakes are as delicious as they are cute!
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup whole fat greek yogurt room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup grated carrots*
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter** softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F, line two muffin tins with 16 cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup light brown sugar, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- In a large bowl, whisk together the canola oil, greek yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.½ cup canola oil, ½ cup whole fat greek yogurt, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Once well mixed, add the grated carrots to the wet ingredients and mix in with a rubber spatula or spoon. Then add in the dry ingredients, and mix until there isn't any residual flour. Don't overmix.1 ½ cup grated carrots*
- Use a spoon to scoop batter into the cupcake liners and fill them ¾ the way full. Bake one tin at a time for 20 minutes each, or until a toothpick comes out clean of one of the center cupcakes. Immediately remove cupcakes from tin and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- While the cupcakes are cooling, put together the frosting. In a standing mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese on high until well-mixed. Add the vanilla extract and salt, and mix on medium speed until evenly distributed.½ cup unsalted butter**, 8 oz cream cheese, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and slowly increase the speed so that the powdered sugar doesn't fly everywhere. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that the frosting is evenly mixed. Mix on high for 3-4 minutes.5 cups powdered sugar
- Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, you can either pipe the frosting on, or spread on top with a knife. If not eating within a few hours after baking, refrigerate until eating. Enjoy!
Notes
*Make sure to grate the carrots yourself rather than buy pre-shredded carrots from the store. Pre-shredded carrots are super dry and using them you'll lose out on a lot of flavor and moisture. I also find that shredded carrots are too thick for cupcakes, so I prefer to grate them (using a zester) and even chop them up a little bit after grating--but the chopping isn't necessary. However, if you prefer getting a lot of carrot texture in your cupcakes, feel free to shred them.
**If you don't have any unsalted butter on hand, you can use salted butter--just make sure to omit the salt.
If the cupcakes aren't eaten within a few hours after making them, refrigerate until eating.