Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe

Carrot Cake Cupcakes – All people’s favorite Carrot Cake, in cupcake kind! Topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting, they’re ultra-moist and fantastically spiced. These little buddies are utterly irresistible, however a complete breeze to make.

Let’s firstly get one factor out of the best way: The presence of carrot in these cupcakes just isn’t a lot about shoe-horning in virtuous greens and even flavour. It’s not carrot-y (is {that a} phrase?) in any respect. It doesn’t even contribute to color.

So then, why add carrot?

The reply is it provides the crumb that signature tenderness with out crumbling in every single place as a result of it softens because it bakes. It’s just like the best way zucchini is utilized in Chocolate Zucchini Bread. You possibly can’t see or style the zucchini in any respect. However it is going to be probably the most chocolate-y, ultra-moist bread of your life.

Carrots are simply one other approach to obtain that.

Plus, we are able to fake: Look ma! Getting my veg repair!

Right here’s what it’s essential make Carrot Cake Cupcakes:

• Carrot – I do know, you virtually fell off your chair. However sure, we want carrot for Carrot Cake Cupcakes!

• Canned crushed pineapple in juice (not syrup, it’s too candy). We drain the pineapple effectively then measure out 3/4 cup of the pineapple and a pair of tablespoons of juice;

• Coconut, walnuts or pecans – Stir-ins, for curiosity. Some individuals additionally embody raisins. I don’t. I really feel like there’s sufficient happening right here already!

• Cinnamon – The spicing. We by no means tire of the stuff!

• Milk – Full-fat is finest, although low-fat works wonderful. I haven’t tried with non-dairy however I’m assured it’ll work;

• Baking soda – The rising agent. It may be substituted with baking powder nevertheless it gained’t rise as effectively. Baking soda is extra highly effective (it’s about 3x stronger than baking powder) and since that is fairly a dense batter, the it advantages from that further enhance to yield a greater crumb;

• Vinegar – This reacts with and prompts the baking soda, giving it a kick-start on the rise. You don’t want a lot, simply half a teaspoon, and you’ll’t style it. I merely use plain white vinegar as a result of it’s probably the most impartial in flavour. Lemon juice additionally works;

• Oil relatively than butter for the fats. Oil makes truffles extra moist than butter, whereas butter provides flavour. On this recipe, there’s a great deal of different flavour from the add-ins and cinnamon, so we are able to use oil as an alternative of butter;

• Eggs – Use customary “giant eggs”, labelled as such on the cartons at supermarkets. They’re 55 – 60g / 2oz per egg. Be certain that they’re at room temperature, not fridge-cold, so that they incorporate extra simply into the batter;

• Brown sugar relatively than white, which makes the crumb extra moist in addition to including a beautiful caramel flavour; and

• Flour – Simply plain / all-purpose flour.

And right here’s what you want for the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Cream cheese – Philadelphia model all the best way for me – there isn’t a substitute!! (And so they aren’t paying me to say that, both!). It have to be the brick kind, versus the stuff within the tubs which is softer as a result of it’s formulated to be simply spreadable. In case you use the bathtub kind, the frosting might be far too sloppy;

• Icing sugar / powdered sugar – Heads up Australians: use smooth icing sugar not pure icing sugar. Mushy icing sugar is used to make fluffy, creamy frostings like this cream cheese one and buttercream frosting. Pure icing sugar units onerous and is used for issues like Royal Icing;

• Butter – Softened to “room temperature” which is 17°C/63°F. At this temperature, the butter ought to be pliable so it may be creamed when overwhelmed. However not so smooth that it leaves a shiny slick of grease in your finger. If it’s too smooth, your frosting might be too sloppy;

• Vanilla for flavour; and

• Salt – Only a pinch.

1. Carrot and pineapple

First, grate the carrot and measure out the canned pineapple.

1. Grate carrot utilizing a regular field grater. Maintain the carrot perpendicular so that you get brief strands, relatively than on an angle which would depart you with lengthy strands;

2. Drain canned pineapple, urgent out extra liquid;

3. Pineapple juice – Measure out 2 tablespoons of the pineapple juice; and

4. Pineapple – Measure out 3/4 cup of the crushed pineapple.

2. Cupcake batter

No electrical mixer required – only a picket spoon!

1. Whisk the Dry elements in a bowl;

2. Whisk Moist elements in a separate bowl, then add the stir-ins – carrot, coconut, nuts and pineapple;

3. Mix Moist and Dry mixes, then combine simply till you possibly can not see flour;

4. Fill muffin tin utilizing no matter scooping machine you favor. Professional tip: Ice cream scoops with a lever are tremendous useful!

5. Bake for 20 minutes in a 180°C/350°F oven (all oven sorts) or till a toothpick comes out clear. Ordinarily, the oven temperature equal for fan ovens can be 20°C decrease, however on this case the dense batter wants a better temperature to get the rise so we use 180°C for fan too; and

6. Voila! Achieved – prepared for cooling then frosting.

Regardless of the close-up of the within, it’s onerous as an example clearly how moist the crumb of this Carrot Cake Cupcake is in a photograph. Simply take my phrase for it, OK? 😂

Oh – however truly, you don’t must do even that! The batter for these cupcakes are only a scaled-down model of Carrot Cake, so you possibly can browse suggestions from individuals who have made that recipe if you need proof, earlier than making an attempt this! – Johnsat x

Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe

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Serves: 12 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 458 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 440g / 14 oz (1 can) crushed pineapple in juice , drained but RESERVE juice (Note 1)
• 1/2 cup milk , at room temperature (full fat best, low fat ok)
• 1/2 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice or other clear vinegar, (Note 2)
• 2 large eggs , at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
• 1 1/3 cups flour , plain / all-purpose
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda (aka bicarb soda, Note 3) (NOT BAKING POWDER!)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 1/3 cups shredded carrot , 1 medium carrot peeled (Note 4)
• 2 tbsp coconut , shredded or desiccated (unsweetened)
• 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans , roughly chopped (ie. measure after chopping)
• 180g / 6oz cream cheese , at room temperature (Note 5)
• 90g / 6 tbsp unsalted butter , softened (17°C/62°F)
• 3 1/2 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted (Note 6)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup walnuts or pecans , moderately finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Canned pineapple: Drain crushed pineapple well, reserving the juice. Measure out 3/4 cup pineapple and 2 tbsp pineapple juice.
3. Whisk Dry Ingredients: Whisk Dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, vinegar, eggs, sugar, oil and the 2 tbsp pineapple juice from Step 2.
5. Add-ins: Stir in carrot, crushed pineapple, coconut and pecans into the Wet ingredients bowl.
6. Combine Wet & Dry: Pour Wet into Dry ingredients, stir only until flour is no longer visible. Batter will be lumpy (from the stir-ins) and thick, but runny.
7. Fill muffin tin: Divide batter between 12 holes. (A 3-tbsp levered ice cream scoop makes life super-easy here.)
8. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and fully cool before frosting.
9. Cream butter: Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer (or whisk attachments for hand mixer), beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
10. Cream cheese: Add cream cheese then beat for 1 minute until smooth.
11. Icing sugar: Add 1/3 of the icing sugar, then starting on the lowest speed (to avoid a powdery explosion!), beat until mostly incorporated. Add half the remaining icing sugar, beat it in, then the remaining icing sugar.
12. Fluff it! Beat on high for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add vanilla and salt, beat briefly to incorporate.
13. Pipe: Transfer to piping bag fitted with a round tip (or ziplock bag with snipper corner). Pipe on to cupcake, sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans if desired.

Notes

Note about different measures: Cups and other cooking measures differ slightly from country to country. This cake has been tested to ensure it works using both metric (Australia, UK, Europe) and US measures.
1. Crushed pineapple – 20oz = 565g, not 440g. However, in Australia, crushed pineapple comes in 440g so I just use 1 x 440g can. The first time I made it, I measured 565g out accurately, but the 2nd time I just used 1 x 440g can and did not notice a difference.
2. Vinegar (sub lemon juice) – This gives baking soda/bi-carb a rapid activation boost to give this cake rise. Required in this recipe because it’s such a moist cake.
3. Baking soda / bicarb – This is about 3x stronger than baking powder. You can sub 6 tsp baking powder but cake will have slightly less rise.
4. Carrot – Grate first then measure using cups (packed firmly). Avoid long strands of carrot in cake by holding the carrot perpendicular to grating face, ie. 90 degrees against the grater, rather than on an angle.
5. Cream cheese – Use block, not the soft spreadable cream cheese that comes in tubs.
UK cream cheese – only tub spreadable is available still, to my knowledge. So use HALF the amount of spreadable cream cheese ie 90g/3oz for one batch, AND add about 1/2 tsp lemon zest (to up the tang slightly).
6. Icing sugar – Called powdered sugar in the United States. Use soft icing sugar, not pure icing sugar.
7. Cake pan: DO NOT try this in a single round cake pan. The weight of the batter is too great and the cake comes out too dense. It must be split at least two pans, or 1 rectangular pan (Note 1 for size). This recipe makes plenty of frosting for either. The cake is so moist, it’s terrific as a single-level cake without needing extra frosting sandwiched in between – and goes further too. 
8. Storage – The cake is so moist, the crumb actually gets semi “wet” if not stored in the fridge when it’s super hot and humid (like Sydney summer!). Also, the frosting gets too soft. Let it come to room temp before serving (~ 10 min).
9. Nutrition per serving, including all frosting.

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Sarah Miller

Hi, I’m Sarah Millar!
I’m a food blogger who loves creating quick and easy recipes that bring big flavor without the fuss. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and I’m here to share simple, fast food ideas that anyone can make at home. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll usually find me tasting new dishes, exploring cafés, or coming up with fresh food hacks to make everyday meals more fun.

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