Carrot Cake Cupcakes

I don't think I had ever tried carrot cake in my life until last Saturday. If I had tried carrot cake, it just wasn't memorable and that is no way to bake! If I share something on my blog, it is honestly because I loved it and it left a lasting impression on me! I am so excited to say that these carrot cake cupcakes are so memorable and so delicious! The cake is so perfect and just flavorful enough! The cinnamon cream cheese icing compliments the cake so nicely making these cupcakes a perfect Fall treat!


This recipe is from a blog called Lil' Luna, you can find the original HERE. I halved the original recipe and ended up with 7 cupcakes. 7 was perfect for the number of people I was having over but I'm sharing the full recipe today, so you should end up with 14-15 cupcakes!

Start by combining 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder in a medium mixing bowl.

Mix in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of sugar.

Mix in 2 eggs.

Add in 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and 1/4 cup of sour cream and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.

Mix in 1 1/2 cups of finely grated carrot.

Prepare a muffin tin by lining it with cupcake liners or spraying it with cooking spray. I only made 7 cupcakes so I filled the remaining muffins cups with water.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes - an inserted knife should come out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.

To make the frosting, use an electric mixer to combine 8oz of cream cheese and 1/2 cup of softened butter.

Mix in 2/3 cup of brown sugar, 2 teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Finally mix in 3 cups of powdered sugar - I needed a little more than 3 cups just to thicken the frosting. I probably ended up using about 3 1/4 cups. The icing was still a little liquid-y but it was ok to pipe. I recommend putting the cupcakes in the fridge right after they are iced so that the frosting congeals a little!

Transfer the icing into a piping bag and frost the cupcakes! I use my go to - a wide star tip. It's easy and reliable!

I sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon on the top of each cupcake. Then, I arranged them on a plate and left them in the fridge until it was time for dessert!

We used these yummy carrot cake cupcakes to celebrate August & September birthdays in my family - there were quite a few birthdays! I was loving the candlelight!

CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES
yield 14-15 cupcakes

ingredients
for the cupcakes...
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrot

for the frosting...
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch of salt
3 cups of powdered sugar (I needed to add about 1/4 cup extra!)

directions
1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and granulated sugar.
2. Add the eggs and the canola oil to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
3. Add in the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Finally, add in the grated carrot and mix until incorporated.
4. Prepare a muffin tin (you will likely need two, for 14-15 cupcakes!) with cupcake liners or by spraying it with cooking spray. Fill each cup to be 3/4 of the way full with batter.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cupcakes for 18-20 mintues. An inserted knife should come out clean.
6. Let the cupcakes sit in the muffin tin for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wore cooling rack to cool completely.
7. Make the frosting by combining the softened butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. Once combined, add in the brown sugar, the vanilla and the salt.
8. Finally mix in the powdered sugar.
9. Load the icing into a prepared piping bag to frost the cupcakes. You could spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a knife if you prefer - I recommend halving the frosting recipe if you do it this way!

Enjoy!