These are the best homemade carrot cake cupcakes! They’re easy to make, incredibly moist, filled with warm spices, and topped with the best cream cheese frosting. Perfect for Easter, springtime, or any occasion!
WHY THESE ARE THE BEST CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES
- All Butter: These cupcakes use butter and buttermilk instead of oil, giving them a rich flavor and a tender crumb.
- Warm Spices: Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice give these cupcakes an amazing flavor.
- Amazing Frosting: The sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch.
- Super Moist: The cupcakes have a wonderfully moist texture that pairs perfectly with the creamy frosting.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
**For the Cupcakes:**
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 313 g, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter 140 g, softened
- 1 cup granulated white sugar 200 g
- ½ cup light brown sugar 110 g, packed
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- ¾ cup buttermilk 178 ml, at room temperature
- 2 cups finely shredded carrots 220 g, at room temperature
**For the Cream Cheese Frosting:**
- 1 cup unsalted butter 224 g, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese 226 g, cold
- 4 cups powdered sugar 520 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
**For the Cupcakes:**
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two cupcake pans with 24 liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla, and mix on medium-high speed until smooth, pale, and slightly fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, a little at a time, mixing on low then medium speed until just combined and smooth.
- Fold in the grated carrots on low speed until evenly distributed.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
**For the Cream Cheese Frosting:**
- In a large bowl, whip the butter on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add in the cold cream cheese and mix on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined, about 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually sift in the powdered sugar, mixing on low then medium speed until fully combined.
- Add in the vanilla and mix on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 1-2 more minutes.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip.
**Assembling the Cupcakes:**
- Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe a generous amount of cream cheese frosting onto each cupcake.
- Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!