Carrot Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
Delicious carrot cake, in cupcake form. These are moist and packed with real carrot flavor, topped with creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Bake sale, Easter, Party
Servings: 24cupcakes
Author: Emily Clifton
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Ingredients
For the Carrot Cupcakes:
2 1/2cupsall-purpose flour12 1⁄2 oz
1 114teaspoonsbaking powder
1teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonfine sea salt
1tablespoonground cinnamon
1poundpeeled carrotsabout 6 to 7 carrots (16 oz)
1 1/2cupsgranulated sugar10 1⁄2 oz
1/2cuppacked light brown sugar3 1⁄2 oz
4large eggs
1 1/2cupneutral oillike canola
1 1/2cupswalnutstoasted and roughly chopped (6 oz)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
10tablespoonsunsalted butterroom temperature (5 oz)
3cupsconfectioners' sugarsift if lumpy (12 oz)
1/2scraped vanilla bean or 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
1/4teaspoonteaspoon sea salt
2tablespoonssour cream
1poundcream cheeseroom temperature (16 oz)
Instructions
To make the cake:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350F/180C.
Line muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon; set aside.
In food processor fitted with the shredding disk or using the medium holes of a box grater, shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); set aside. (make sure you use a full pound of carrots, weigh them after they’ve been trimed and peeled).
In the bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat eggs and both the granulated and brown sugars together on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium and add oil in slow, steady stream while the mixer is still running. Increase speed to high and mix until mixture becomes lighter in color and almost frothy, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer. Stir in the flour mixture by hand using a rubber spatula until just incorporated. Stir in the carrots and walnuts. Give the batter a final stir to make sure everything is thoroughly combined. Scoop the batter into the lined muffin cups until each is 3/4 full.
Bake until a toothpick or a skewer inserted into center of cake comes out mostly clean, 25-30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking time. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer) beat the butter on medium-high speed until it gets creamy and pale, 1-2 minutes.
Add the confectioners sugar, salt and vanilla (seeds or extract) and beat until it gets light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes.
Add the sour cream and cream cheese and beat until combined. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until the frosting is light, fluffy, and whipped, 3-4 more minutes.
Frost cupcakes with an offset spatula, or fill a pastry bag and pipe a swirl on top.
(Note: if the frosting is too thin, pop it into the fridge for 10-15 minutes and then re-whip).