Soft, fluffy, warming spices, sweet, moist, and seriously delicious! These Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are the absolute best and easiest recipe there is. Loaded with spices like ginger, cloves, and allspice, mixed with carrots, baked to perfection, and topped with the most amazing Cream Cheese Frosting. If you have two bowls, a whisk, a sieve/sifter, and a spatula/spoon then you have everything you need to make these cupcakes!

a cupcake on a marble coaster with greenery and a fork with cupcakes in the background

About The Recipe

The sun is shining and Spring is officially just around the corner! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than baking these cupcakes.

I absolutely adore Spring. Seriously, I am an absolute sucker for flowers and everything being all bright and new.

These yummy bites are seriously the best way to kick off the spring baking marathon! They are perfect for Easter, or really just any day of the week.

carrot cake cupcakes on a marble table with flowers

But, to be honest with you guys, I have never really been a fan of carrot cake. When I was younger, my mom made HUNDREDS of them due to her catering business and even her restaurants. Everyone loved them but me!

I couldn’t find the appeal. A vegetable in a cupcake? No, no, no.

I wanted a big slice of dark chocolate cake and definitely not a vegetable.

You get me?

I’m sure everyone went through this as a kid. So, today I decided to get rid of that old way of thinking and finally try one.

carrot cake cupcake on a marble coaster with cupcakes in the background

Ohmygosh, I’ve been missing out! These cupcakes are literally h e a v e n.

There’s just enough spice, the cream cheese frosting makes it silky smooth, the cake itself is moist and fluffy…

I cannot get enough!

I have actually tried (small) bites of other people’s carrot cakes before, but none of them are as good as this one.

Equipment Needed

Mixing Bowls
Large Sieve
Whisk
Rubber Spatula
Large Cookie Scoop
Cupcake Papers
Muffin Pan
Cake Tester
A Mixer
Piping Bags
Piping Tips

Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour
Sugar
Cinnamon
Ginger
Cloves
Nutmeg
Baking Powder
Salt
Vegetable Oil
4 eggs
Grated Carrots

Instructions

Now, combine all the dry ingredients into a sieve or sifter and sift! Set aside.

spices and flour in a sieve sitting on a glass bowl with a bowl of sugar next to it

all dry ingredients sifted into a glass bowl

In a separate bowl, combine eggs and oil. Whisk until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until combined. The batter is very thick.

Now, add the carrots! Mix them in until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

carrot cake cupcake batter in a glass bowl

Line your muffin tin with cupcake papers. Add the batter and place in a 350 degree oven. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cupcakes test done. Make sure to keep an eye on them and turn them around in the oven, if necessary.

cupcake batter in a muffin tin on a marble table

carrot cake cupcakes in a muffin tin on a marble table

The cupcakes are now done! Now, it’s time to move onto the frosting.

The cream cheese frosting is really easy as well. It’s the same one we use for everything! It’s pipeable, smooth, and seriously good. All you need to do is gather your ingredients and mix everything together slowly.

How To Store

If you need to freeze the cupcakes, I’d do so unfrosted. Not that you can’t freeze the frosting, it’s just when you go to reheat it, the frosting melts.

You can store these in a large freezer safe bag and they’ll last for months! If they already have frosting, you can also refrigerate them for about a week.

Substitutions

You can use a bought spice blend rather than mixing your own, but you will need to adjust the amount of spice that goes into the cupcake.
You can also use store-bough shredded carrots. Just make sure they are small enough to incorporate!
Homemade cream cheese frosting tastes better, but if you want, you can use store-bought.

a cupcake on a marble coaster with greenery and cupcakes in the background

Expert Tips

The cupcakes themselves are dairy-free but the frosting is not.
Make sure you carrots are in small enough shreds to incorporate into the batter.
These cupcakes don’t brown too much. Make sure you use a cake tester or a tooth pick to determine if it’s done.
Refrigerate the cream cheese frosting after you make it. It won’t pipe if it’s warm!
Use fresh carrots.
You can grate the carrots, shred them in a food processor, or buy pre-shredded at the store.
Don’t skip sifting the dry ingredients!

When you make these Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.