These carrot cake cupcakes have arrived just in time for spring! Moist with flecks of carrot in each bite, you’ll swoon over these sweet treats that are topped with maple cream cheese frosting.
So, I have a confession. This carrot cake recipe is from Epicurious – and as they say, once you have an amazing recipe you should never stray (thank you to my mother-in-law!).
A few adjustments were made. I up’ed the carrot shreds and cinnamon in the cake because, well… I like both of those ingredients a lot and wanted morrrrrrre. As for the frosting, I added a little more powdered sugar to make sure it would be very sturdy.
Believe it or not, I’m not a huge cupcake person. I love baking – breads, cookies, you-name-it – but I hardly make cupcakes and don’t consider myself good at it.
So, as fate would have it… when I asked my work BFF what she would like for her birthday, she immediately said cupcakes. And not just an easy, normal yellow cake box variety, she wanted carrot cake.
I’m going to blame this special request on Crowley Cupcakes. A local bakery that we’ve recently become utterly obsessed with, including its carrot cake cupcakes.
However, as a true friend I happily made my way to the kitchen! While they’ll never be up to the standards of Crowley Cupcakes, they were perfect for me! And by the empty plate I brought home, everyone at work thought so as well. (*happy dance!*)
Some parting thoughts… to make these cupcakes extra spring-y, top with some jelly beans! Or, pick out orange and green Skittles or M&Ms to form a mini carrot on each (photo example).
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups canola or vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 3 1/4 cups grated peeled carrots (tip: use a food processor!)
- 1 1/4 cups chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger (tip: use a veggie peeler!)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Insert cupcake liners into a cupcake pan.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to blend.
- In a large bowl, mix the sugar and oil until well blended. Whisk in 1 egg at a time.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until blended.
- Stir in the shredded carrots, walnuts and ginger.
- Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into each cupcake holder. *Important*: Only fill the cups halfway, otherwise they'll spill over (trust me!).
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden.
- Let cool, then top with frosting.
- Using an electric mixer, whisk the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by the maple syrup and whisk on LOW speed until combined.
- Chill for 15 minutes or until the cupcakes are completely cool.
- Spoon a heaping tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake.
- If you'd like your frosting to be thicker, just add a tablespoon of powered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency.
OH! Yum!
Very yummy! Do you grow carrots?