To me, carrot cake is a fall & winter cake, not quite Christmas, but definitely spiced just the right amount. The carrots make these fluffy carrot cake cupcakes very moist and the hint of cinnamon goes so well with it. Add a smooth cream cheese frosting and we're in heaven.
When I put one of these in my mouth it was like eating a spiced cloud with cream cheese. Really, so incredibly fluffy! It's actually a cake recipe, but I wanted petite easy-to-transport cupcakes instead. So if you want to make a cake out of it, you can, using a 20x30cm pan (12x8in) and baking it 5-7 minutes longer.
Fluffy Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
You know I talk about eggedosis a lot (here and here). I will again, until everyone know what eggedosis is. It is whipped sugar and eggs until white and fluffy. Do that, it will take some time, but eventually it will turn white. It takes around 10 minutes with a handheld mixer (1).
Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and vanilla bean sugar. Alternate pouring the flour mixture and pouring the oil into the eggedosis - egg mixture (2-4). Be careful! You do not want to beat the air out of the eggedosis. It should remain airy. Very important in order to get the light as air carrot cake cupcakes.
Continue with the careful hand, stir in the shredded carrots (5-7). Do not taste the cake batter, because that tastes like crap. But when it's baked, it is heaven in a carrot cake cupcake.
Pour the batter into muffin tins. I like my cupcakes small, but you could use the normal (large) sized cupcake tins too. You might have to bake them for a little longer (toothpick trick - take a toothpick into the cupcake when you think it's done, and it is if the toothpick comes out clean). I bake them on 175C (350F) in the middle of the oven for around 17-20 minutes.
Taste one (who can resist?) and let the rest cool on a rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Meanwhile, let's get to the super easy cream cheese frosting. I'm not always dead sure on my measurements on this, because I taste along the way and add a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
However, as a start I would suggest taking 250 gr of cream cheese, 250 gr of powdered sugar and 2 teaspoon vanilla bean sugar as a base. Mix with a handheld mixer until smooth. Try not to mix more than necessary. If it's too sweet, add in more cream cheese, not sweet enough, more powdered sugar, and so on. You can even add cardamom, cinnamon and the like to really oomph up the spice factor.
The carrot cake cupcakes are cool and we are ready to frost them. You can just add it with a knife, but if you want my fancy flower frosting, you have to use a piping bag with a star tip.
Begin in the middle of the cupcake and in a circular motion work your way to the outer part of the carrot cake cupcake. It's so simple, yet makes for a rather pretty cupcake and that without 3 times as much frosting as you actually want to eat.
Enjoy!
Other delicious sweet treats:
- Banana Chocolate Muffins
- Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes with Irish Baileys Frosting
- Healthy Spiced Pumpkin Soufflé with Maple Pecans and Cream Cheese
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Pumpkin White Chocolate Muffins
- Chocolate Orange Cake
- Coconut cupcakes with chocolate orange buttercream
Hope you really like this recipe! And I would love to hear from you, either in the comment section below, or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don't forget to Pin it for later!
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📖 Recipe
Fluffy Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
The carrots make these carrot cake cupcakes very moist and the hint of cinnamon goes so well with it. Add cream cheese and we're in heaven.
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- 4 eggs
- 200 grams sugar (1 cup)
- 150 grams flour (1 cup + 3 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean sugar (or pure vanilla extract)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 100 milliliters canola oil (7 tablespoons)
- 300 grams shredded carrots (about 5 carrots)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 300 grams cream cheese (1 ¼ cup)
- 300 grams powdered sugar (2 ⅓ cup)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean sugar (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
Instructions
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Pre-heat oven to 350℉ (175℃) and line muffin tins with muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, whip eggs and sugar until pale, very thick and fluffy, mininum 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and vanilla bean sugar*. Alternate pouring the flour mixture and pouring the oil into the egg mixture. Fold with a spatula - be careful! It should remain fluffy. This is very important in order to get the light and tender carrot cake cupcakes.
- Continue with the careful hand, stir in the shredded carrots. Do not taste the cake batter, because that tastes like crap. But when it's baked, it is heaven in a carrot cake cupcake.
- Pour the batter into muffin tins, filling only ⅔ up. Bake for about 17-20 minutes (on the middle rack) or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Taste one (obviously) and let the rest cool on a rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting: Mix the ingredients with a handheld or stand mixer until smooth. If it's too sweet, add in more cream cheese, not sweet enough, more powdered sugar, and so on. You can even add cardamom, cinnamon and the like to really oomph up the spice factor.
- When the cupcakes are cool we are ready to frost them. You can just add it with a knife, but if you want my fancy flower frosting, you have to use a piping bag with a star tip. Begin in the middle of the cupcake and in a circular motion work your way to the outer part of the carrot cake cupcake. It's so simple, yet makes for a rather pretty cupcake and that without 3 times as much frosting as you actually want to eat.
Notes
*If you want to make a cake out of it, you can:
1. Sheet pan: use an 8x12 in (20x30 centimeters) sheet pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes longer.
2. For a fancy layer cake, use 2 7-inch (18 centimeters) round pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Add a foil on top (loosely) for the last 5 minutes so that it won't burn. Use the same amount of frosting, but use half of it inside the cake.
3. For one layer, round cake, use a 9-inch round pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. Add foil on top (loosely) if the top browns too much. You will have a little leftover frosting for this cake.
* If using vanilla extract, don't add it to the dry ingredients but rather the whipped sugar-eggs once it's done whipping.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 27 Serving Size: 1 cupcakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 8.1gSaturated Fat: 2.9gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 24.4gFiber: 0.6gSugar: 19gProtein: 2.3g