Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Who knew that one day carrot cake would become one of my favorite kinds of cake? The stuff is really just hard to beat. It’s incredibly moist, perfectly spiced, deliciously sweet, it’s texture lands right in the middle of fluffy and dense, and that light tang from the silky smooth cream cheese frosting enhances the cakes flavors in all the best ways. I love that they even have a crunch factor too, thanks to the crowning of pecans. They basically have the best of everything in a cupcake. When I make a layered carrot cake, I can, and do, finish half of the cake myself within just a few days.

I don’t say this too often but this is a recipe you have to try, especially if you like carrot cake. These cupcakes are my idea of the perfect carrot cake cupcakes. I began with my favorite carrot cake recipe and altered it to have a better structure (by reducing some of the leavening and slightly upping the flour), I used thinner carrots (since cupcakes cook faster than cake, and I don’t like thick shreds of carrots in carrot cake anyway), then I added another light layer of flavor with a little brown sugar in place of some of the white sugar. I also tossed the carrots with some of the dry mixture (it’s a tip I’ve picked up along the way) which I believe helps the carrots stay evenly dispersed and not sink. Another thing I like to do is use some applesauce in carrot cake in place of about 1/3 of the oil. I don’t substitute applesauce for a portion of the oil in very many baking recipes but it just works amazingly well with carrot cake. It leaves it with a non-greasy texture and flavor from using an excessive amount of oil.

Yes these may seem out of place, carrot cake cupcakes in January, but it’s just me. They may seem more of a spring or summer dessert but I make carrot cake ALL year long. I was so excited it was the type of cake my daughter requested for her birthday last week (see, I’m obsessed. Once I had it last week I had to make it again this week because I couldn’t stop thinking about its pure deliciousness). Everyone should make carrot cake all year long. It makes life good :). Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups very finely shredded carrots (from about 4 medium carrots)*
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (I like to use 1/4 cup unsalted, 1/4 cup salted)
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg for 30 seconds, set aside. Shred carrots as directed in notes below, set aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and brown sugar, then add eggs and using an electric hand mixer, blend mixture on low speed 30 seconds, until slightly pale. Mix in applesauce and vanilla extract. With mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in vegetable oil and mix until combined, then mix 20 seconds longer. Mix in half of the dry ingredients, then pour the shredded carrots into the bowl with the remaining flour mixture and toss in flour mixture to coat carrots (they'll clump together a bit but that's fine). Pour carrot mixture into the batter and blend until evenly combined.
• Pour batter into paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean, about 19 - 21 minutes. Cool in muffin tin several minutes then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
• Set aside 1/3 - 1/2 cup of the frosting if making carrot decoration. Frost cupcakes with remaining cream cheese frosting then immediately roll edges of frosting in chopped pecans. If making carrot decoration, tint half of the remaining frosting with orange gel coloring (or red and yellow) to reach desired vibrancy, then tint remaining half with green. Pipe carrot greens with a tiny round tip and orange carrot with a medium round tip. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. Allow to rest at room temperature before serving.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
• Using an electric mixer, whip together butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. With mixer running on low speed, slowly add powdered sugar and beat until well blended and smooth, about 1 minute longer.
• *To very finely shred carrots use the small holes on a box grater and use fairly gentle pressure so they are thinly shredded, short pieces.

(Recipe Source: Cooking Classy)