If you are on the hunt for the best carrot cake recipe, look no more! These Carrot Cake Cupcakes are the BEST I’ve tried – moist and fluffy with a tender crumb and PACKED with delicious spiced flavor!
Is it springtime yet where you live?
I know half of the country is under a mountain of snow, but here in Northern California, spring has pretty much arrived. With the rogue rainy day – including a thunderstorm on Sunday – it’s pretty sunny and gorgeous out. And maybe it’s me, but my allergies aren’t even acting up! I am feeling #blessed for sure.
I had all intentions of posting these cupcakes before Easter because carrot cake and Easter are kind of synonymous. BUT I slipped and fell off of the baking (and blogging) bandwagon and am only recently getting back on the saddle (sorry, so many idioms). To be honest, things have been crazy in my personal life. Our family dog, Winston, is not doing well – he has weekly acupuncture appointments because he messed up some of the discs in his back. And my best friend turned out to be a cruel beyotch, so I guess I’ve been stressed out and not baking.
So between crying jags of sadness and frustration over my furry four-legged brother being ill and feeling betrayed by my former bestie, I’ve just been eating copious amounts of Panera Bread and trying to forget. And I also have been like, super braindead with recipe ideas which never happens.
But now I’m back and ready to continue our committed relationship. Hopefully you’ve missed me? I’ve missed me! < sorry, so emo.
ANYWAY. These Carrot Cake Cupcakes truly are the *BEST* ever. Now if you’ve read my blog longer than a minute, you know carrot cake is not my favorite. HOWEVER – once I made my Best Carrot Cake recipe, I was a changed woman. Can I eat a whole pan of cake? No… but that recipe did change my tune about my aforementioned least favorite cake flavor.
If you love carrot cake, you have GOT to try this recipe! These are perfect for a springtime brunch or get-together. They’re moist, fluffy and have a perfectly tender crumb with a gorgeous mountain of cream cheese frosting on top. My carrot cake recipes have crushed pineapple and chopped pecans in the batter, but feel free to add or omit certain add-ins to suit your tastes (add in raisins or coconut, omit pecans, etc).
But if you must ask, yes, cake – even carrot cake cupcakes – make stressful weeks a whole lot better.
- FOR THE CUPCAKES:
- One 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups finely shredded carrots
- FOR THE FROSTING:
- ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) salted butter, softened
- One 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 3 & ½ – 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- Halved pecans for decoration, optional
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with 24 paper liners. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the crushed pineapple and eggs until combined. Add in the granulated and brown sugars and mix until combined. Slowly mix in the oil and vanilla extract. Add in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and beat until just incorporated and no flour remains (scrape the bottom of the bowl). Lastly, fold in the chopped pecans and shredded carrots until combined.
- Portion the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling about ⅔ – ¾ths full. Bake for 18-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist – not wet – crumbs. Cool completely.
- To make the frosting: Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy, 2 minutes. Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar, alternating with the heavy cream until frosting is light and fluffy with soft peaks.
- Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with a pecan half, if using. Store cupcakes covered in the fridge.
Moist, fluffy, tender and perfectly spiced cupcakes that taste like HEAVEN!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
