Baking up a delicious batch of carrot cake cupcakes is just like flipping over a sign in a bakery window that says “hello spring.” These gorgeous carrot cupcakes are no ordinary desserts! I collaborated with Ashley from fabulous Peace Love & Eat Cake for this authentic bakery recipe. Ashley creates stunning cakes and desserts for Northern California wedding venues. Also, just in time for Easter, I’m excited to show you how easy it is to create an adorable DIY bunny pinata as a decoration for your spring tablescape. Today we have a lot of ground to cover, so put on your apron and let’s get going!
Carrot Cake Cupcake Recipe Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this authentic bakery recipe for carrot cake cupcakes: all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves, vegetable oil, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, large eggs, pure vanilla extract, and grated carrots.
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting ingredients: butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pure vanilla extract.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
If you’ve been wondering how to make carrot cake cupcakes, it’s super easy! Here’s how to make a moist batch of carrot cake cupcakes from scratch: Begin by adjusting your oven rack to the center position. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Set them aside.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
In a small bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Mix these ingredients together then set the bowl aside. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the vegetable oil and both sugars until fully incorporated. One at a time, add in the eggs mixing after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract. Mix again.
Bakery Recipe for Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add in the grated carrots and mix briefly until combined. Using a cookie scoop, add the batter to the lined cupcake pans filling each cupcake liner 1/2 – 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for 22-24 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the middle of two carrot cake cupcakes comes out clean.
Best Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
Allow your carrot cake cupcakes remain in the cupcake pans for about 12 minutes to cool off a bit. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once your cupcakes have cooled completely, it’s time to frost them with scrumptious homemade cream cheese frosting!
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
How do you make cream cheese frosting? Here’s how to make it: Add softened butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment beat these ingredients on high for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Half way through the mixing process, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed, gradually increasing the speed to high. Add in vanilla extract and continue mixing until the frosting is deliciously smooth! Dip a clean finger into the bowl to have a little taste. Mmmm…so darn good.
Best Kitchen Tools for Making Carrot Cake Cupcakes
I absolutely love my two KitchenAid stand mixers. Both of mine are white, so when it comes time to replace them I’ll be going for a beautiful splash of color! What color mixer would you like to use to make yummy carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting? What do you think of these cute cupcake liners and toppers?
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 24 Cupcakes 1x
Description
An authentic bakery recipe for carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. These beautiful cupcakes are tender, moist and absolutely scrumptious. A quick easy recipe for Easter, spring and summer. Get a Pinterest-worthy look with cute cupcake toppers and a lovely cake stand!
Ingredients
CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES – INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup light-brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated carrots
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING – INGREDIENTS
- 2 sticks butter (1 cup), room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES – DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices together. Set the bowl aside.
- In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, mix the oil and both sugars until fully incorporated, about 1-2 minutes on medium speed. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing on low for 10 seconds in between each addition. Add in vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add the flour mixture in two parts. Mix until just combined. Add the grated carrots and mix briefly until just combined.
- Pour the cupcake batter (about 1/2 to 3/4 full) into your lined cupcake pans.
- Bake the carrot cake cupcakes for 22-24 min, pulling them out of the oven when a toothpick inserted into the center of one or more cupcakes comes out clean. Let the cupcakes remain in their pans to cool halfway. Transfer the them to a cooling rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting!
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING – DIRECTIONS
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, add the softened butter and cream cheese. Beat on high for 2-3 minutes, scraping the bowl once, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add half the powdered sugar to mixer. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase speed to high until frosting is smooth. Add rest of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add vanilla and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to high until the frosting is smooth. You’re now ready to frost your carrot cake cupcakes!
Notes
HELPFUL TIPS FOR MAKING CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES
- Save time grating carrots by using a food processor with the grater attachment. A cheese grater also gets the job done well!
- Use a cookie scoop to portion out the cupcake batter into the cupcake tins.
- For bakery-style cupcakes, never fill your cupcake liners more than 3/4 full. This will prevent overflow during baking while also allowing enough space for the cupcakes to rise in the oven ending up almost even with the top of the cupcake wrapper.
- To frost your cupcakes, create a DIY pastry bag by using a quart-sized Ziplock. With scissors, snip off a small portion of a bottom corner. Stick your favorite pastry tip through the opening. Fill with cream cheese frosting and you’re ready to put the finishing touches on your glorious carrot cake cupcakes!
- For these carrot cake cupcakes, an Ateco 847 closed-star pastry tip was used.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Party
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: carrot cake cupcakes, cream cheese frosting, carrot cake recipe
CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING > PIN IT TO PINTEREST
Save this delicious bakery-style recipe for later! Pin CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES to Pinterest!
Another Easter Recipe You’ll Love!
If you enjoyed this bakery-style recipe for carrot cake cupcakes, you’ll absolutely love these delicious CARROT CAKE SCONES!
You’ll also want to try this scrumptious homemade recipe for CINNABON CINNAMON ROLLS!
DIY BUNNY PINATA FOR CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES RECIPE
Every festive holiday tablescape deserves a gorgeous eye-catching centerpiece. And when that stunning centerpiece can be made cheaply and easily, I give three cheers for that! This Easter tablescape with carrot cake cupcakes is elevated with this DIY bunny pinata.
Materials for DIY Bunny Pinata
These are the simple materials you’ll need to create this super cute DIY bunny pinata: poster board or thick cardboard, white and pink crepe paper streamers, clear packing table, invisible tape, scissors, glue stick, pen or pencil, ruler, black construction paper, gold paper, eye lash print.
How to Make a DIY Bunny Pinata
STEP 1: Draw a bunny shape onto white poster board. Cut it out. Trace and cut a second bunny shape. Using a ruler, cut 3-inch wide long strips for your piñata sides. Tape the top, bottom and sides of the DIY piñata together.
STEP 2: Fold, layer and cut your streamer along the bottom to create a fringe edge. Continue the process of cutting and taping fringe streamer onto your piñata until it’s fully covered.
STEP 3: For the bunny nose, cut a small heart out of pink streamer paper and glue it onto your bunny pinta. Cut out pink ears and glue them on. Cut and glue on gold whiskers. Cut out eye lashes and glue them onto your piñata. Cut and glue black paper for the mouth. Place your DIY bunny pinata next to or behind a lovely cupcake stand filled with delicious carrot cake cupcakes!
If you loved this DIY bunny pinata, you’re going to love my friend Melissa’s DIY HEART CAKE FRINGE PINATA featured on her blog Best Friends for Frosting! It’s the perfect addition to a spring tablescape featuring these tender, moist carrot cake cupcakes!
CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES > JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Do you have a special Easter dessert recipe that you turn to time and again? What do you think about this authentic bakery recipe for carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting? Who would you love to share them with? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
We shared this carrot cake cupcakes this holiday season. Everyone in the family loves it! Every bite burst with happiness, it’s like the heaven opened its gates. This is so good, so thumbs up!
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Jeff, thank you so much for coming back here and letting me know that you and your family loved these fun carrot cake cupcakes! I send sprinkles of happiness, joy and prosperity to you and your family. Happy New Year!
I am loving this carrot cake cupcakes recipe. I made it this New Year’s Eve Party celebration. My kids love it and they won’t stop eating. Thanks for this. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Xoxo
Jennifer, it makes me smile to know that you and your family enjoyed this yummy recipe for carrot cake cupcakes. You’ve made my day! Many fun wishes are sent your way for a happy and prosperous new year!
Hi Denay, these cupcakes are looking delicious. This carrot flavor seems really interesting. I never heard this before. I will try this next time. Thank you and keep sharing.
Oh I absolutely love carrot cake! In fact, I was going to buy these exact muffin cups and decorations until I decided to go with a full on cake :P looks yummy!
I hope you really enjoy them. They are so good.
Those look so fun! My sister would love these!
Nicole
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Thank you for stopping by. I hope she enjoys them.
Omg this makes me SO HUNGRY!! I love carrot cake so it’s genius to make them into cupcakes!
Im glad you liked them. They are so yummy.
These are so adorable, and how delicious do they sound! The cream cheese frosting sounds amazing, and I love the fun decorations!
Thank you so much. They really are fun.
These carrot cake cupcakes look so delicious. I would love to try to make it. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much. Hope you enjoy them.
I absolutely LOVE carrot cake. Have you ever tried adding a pinch of cinnamon to the frosting? It’s helps bring out some of the savory flavor of the cupcake. I love house you’ve brought in “spring” by adding in all the other Easter decor!
Thank you so much.
Holy Moly those look amazing!! My husband LOVES carrot cake! I might have to give these a try! Cheers!
Thank you. Hope you enjoy.
These look so great!
Thank you.
Well, these are just adorable! I love how bright and light your photographs are, too. And that blue cake stand. I am obsessed! I wish I could come over and have one of those cupcakes. Yum!
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Im glad you enjoyed them.
How did you know carrot cupcakes were my all time favorite! I will have to save this to make soon!
★★★★★
You will really enjoy them.
I’m still trying to find the perfect Carrot Cake recipe, so I really hope this is the one. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
You are so welcome.
The cupcakes are so adorable!
★★★★★
Thank you so much.
I’m such a carrot cake fan, I love the idea of making them as cupcakes! Such a great idea, perfect for Easter!
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It would be perfect for Easter.
carrot cup cakes! what a good time to be alive. such a yummy recipe, i love carrot cake. i am yet to actually make a cake for myself
★★★★★
You should do it. It is so good.
Yum! Cream cheese frosting is always a plus when icing cupcakes. It’s one of my favorite toppings.
★★★★★
It really is.
Carrot cake is seriously one of my favorites. My kids prefer cupcakes over a sheet cake so this would be perfect.
I hope you like them.
Oh my goodness, I need to try these how absolutely delicious do they sound!
★★★★★
I think you will really like it.
I love the bunny pinata! This set-up is adorable!
Thank you!
These look amazing! I sure do love some carrot cake.
Me too!
I love this recipe – the cakes sound delicious!! And the best thing, the step-by-step for making them seems so simple! I definitely think I could make these, even though I’m a rubbish bake haha! x
★★★★★
Im sure you could make them beautiful.
Carrot cake is actually my mother’s favorite! I bet she would love if I made these for our Easter dinner
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I hope you enjoyed them.
These cupcakes look really delicious, love cream cheese frosting and goes so well with carrot cake. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
You are so welcome.
These are so pretty! And I love carrot cake, so I must make these. The cream cheese frosting is my favorite.
★★★★★
It is so good.
My dad’s favorite cake is carrot cake. He loves it better than ice cream, lol. So, I always bake a cake or cupcakes for Easter for him. And I don’t care how old he is, he absolutely loves these cupcakes and would make a big deal over them. If only my frosting could turn out that pretty.
★★★★★
Awww, im glad you liked them.
What fun and playful cupcakes! If you are a spicy carrot cake lover like me, using fresh whole cloves and grinding them right before use adds some extra holiday spice with each bite.
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Hope you liked it.