Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Soft, warmly spiced carrot cupcakes with proper tangy cream cheese frosting. One bowl for the batter, easy scaling for a crowd.
Carrot cake is the crowd-pleaser I trust for anything from Easter lunch to a friend's birthday. Cupcakes give you all the same flavour with less faff — no layers, no crumb coats, just pipe and go.
The frosting is the non-negotiable half of this recipe. Get properly cold cream cheese and don't over-whip it and it comes out silky, not soupy.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 200g (1½ cups) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 180ml (¾ cup) neutral oil
- 200g (1 cup) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200g (2 cups) finely grated carrots
- 60g (½ cup) chopped walnuts, plus extra to decorate
Frosting
- 225g (1 cup) full-fat cream cheese, cold
- 115g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 300g (2½ cups) icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cases.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt in one bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir the wet mix into the dry, then fold in the carrots and walnuts. Divide between the cases.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the frosting, beat the butter smooth, then add the cream cheese and beat just until combined. Sift in the icing sugar and add the vanilla; mix on low until silky. Pipe or spoon onto the cool cupcakes and top with walnuts.
Cooking tips
- Grate the carrots on the fine side of a box grater. Big shreds stay chewy.
- Cream cheese must be cold and butter must be soft — the wrong way round makes the frosting split.
- Wait until the cupcakes are completely cool. Warm cupcakes melt the frosting into a puddle.
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If you enjoyed this recipe, you'll find more of my favourite desserts recipes in the archive, or browse the full collection.
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