Name: Carrot Cupcakes & Mini Carrot Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 19 min
Total time: 49 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (162 g); ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg; 3/4 cup buttermilk (180 g); 1/2 cup vegetable oil (107 g); 1 large egg; ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ¾ cup light brown sugar (lightly packed, 144 g); 1 ¼ cup shredded carrot (170 g); ¼ cup chopped walnuts (30 g); More walnuts for topping if desired; Melted butter for cake pans if needed; 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature, 227 g); 4 oz unsalted butter (room temperature, 113 g); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ¾ cup powdered sugar (75 g)

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These Carrot Cupcakes have gotten a lot of rave reviews. The cake is soft and moist, slightly spiced, with a little bit of crunch from the walnuts, and the cream cheese frosting is a must. You can also use the same recipe to make a Mini Carrot Cake!

Lightly spiced carrot cupcakes and cream cheese frosting is a classic combination and a tricky way to sneak vegetables into your dessert. Plus the shredded carrot really helps keep these cupcakes super moist and delicious for days.

This carrot cupcake recipe is easy enough to make with your young bakers at home for Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or as a fun weekend project. It can also be made into a two-layer 6-inch carrot cake. I’ll show you how below!

How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes

The easy cupcake batter

Making carrot cake batter (Photos 1 – 6)

Beat buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract together in a large mixing bowl with a whisk.
Whisk in brown sugar until it dissolves completely.
Mix in the shredded carrot until evenly distributed.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and fold until incorporated.
Fold in the chopped toasted walnuts – don’t skip toasting the walnuts, it brings out the flavor.
Divide batter among 12 cupcake cavities using a large ice cream scoop. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

The frosting

Cream cheese frosting in a stand mixer

Nothing completes carrot cupcakes better than a creamy and tangy cream cheese frosting. I wouldn’t dare put any other frosting on it. Pipe it on, smear it on, however you do it, it’s gonna be delicious. Finish it with a few sprinkles of chopped walnut over the frosting.

How to make Mini Carrot Cake

The mini carrot cake recipe is exactly the same as the carrot cake cupcakes recipe, the only difference is you’ll be baking it in two 6” cake pans instead of 12 cupcake tins. You’ll need to divide the batter as evenly as you can between two pans to ensure even baking.

Dividing carrot cake batter in 6" cake pan

Dividing carrot cake batter for Mini Carrot Cake

A few tips for dividing the batter:

You can certainly eyeball it if you don’t want to bother with measuring. But you may need to take one cake out earlier than the other if the cake batter is uneven. This is totally okay, just make sure to check each of your cakes with a toothpick.
If you want to be more exact, use a scale. This recipe yields about 850 g of batter, so each pan would hold about 425 g.
If you don’t have a scale, use the ice cream scoop as you would dividing the batter for the cupcakes. Count as you go to make sure you’re adding the same amount of batter to each pan.

This mini carrot cake will yield 8 good size slices or 6 very generous portions.

Storing and making ahead

How to store carrot cupcakes and mini carrot cake?

Unfrosted cupcakes and cakes can be kept on the counter overnight. Be sure to cover them so they don’t dry out.

For the cake, I would wrap each individually in plastic wrap after they have cooled completely. For the cupcakes, I would leave them on the wire rack and drape a long piece of plastic or a clean towel over all of them.

If you have added frosting to your cupcakes and cake, it is best to store them in the fridge since the frosting is made with dairy products and you don’t want to risk it spoiling at room temperature.

How long do carrot cupcakes last?

These carrot cupcakes and mini carrot cake will last up to a week in the fridge and they will stay moist the whole time thanks to the shredded carrot.

Can I freeze carrot cupcakes?

Yes, these cupcakes freeze well and will last for up to three months. Wrap them well to keep the freezer smell out. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a couple of hours before serving.

You can also freeze the mini cake in individual slices the same way. Wrap them well in plastic and place them in a freezer bag. Thaw just like the cupcakes before serving.

Baker’s Tips

If you don’t have buttermilk, regular milk, sour cream, or yogurt will work as a substitute.

Any flavorless oil will work in this recipe. I typically use vegetable or canola oil, but olive oil will work as well.
I like to use a food processor to chop up the carrots, but help it out by cutting the carrots into smaller pieces first. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a box grater.
Toasting the walnuts before adding it to the batter is highly recommended to bring out their flavor. It only takes a few extra minutes. Once you do it, you’ll never go back to using untoasted nuts.
I used 2 medium carrots in this recipe. They were about 8 oz total before peeling and shredding.

For your Easter brunch

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, send me a photo, rate it and don’t forget to tag me @wildwildwhisk on Instagram. I’d love to see what’s cooking up in your kitchen. Cheers!