Moist Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These homemade carrot cupcakes are finished with a tangy, from-scratch cream cheese frosting. The cupcakes are quick to whip up — about 10 minutes of hands-on time for the batter and another 10 for the frosting — and you don’t need an electric mixer to make the cupcakes themselves.

If you’re as fond of carrot cake as I am, you can adapt this batter for a bundt or layer cake. These cupcakes are also a lovely base for additions like crushed nuts or candied ginger, and they look festive topped with sprinkles, mini eggs, or edible flowers for a spring celebration.

Tell me about this recipe

• Easy, quick carrot cupcakes that use simple kitchen tools — a bowl and a whisk are all you need for the batter.
• Grated fresh carrots are combined with oil, sugar, eggs and warming spices to keep the crumb moist and flavorful.
• Walnuts add crunch here, but you can substitute pecans, pistachios, or omit nuts entirely.
• The frosting is a stable cream cheese frosting made lighter and more stable by folding in whipped cream.

Ingredient notes

• Flour: All-purpose flour works well for these cupcakes.
• Oil: Use a neutral oil such as vegetable or sunflower oil — this helps keep the cupcakes tender and moist.
• Spices: I use a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger; adjust the spice mix to suit your taste.
• Cream cheese: Choose block-style cream cheese rather than spreadable tubs when possible. If you can only find tub-style cream cheese, blot it with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
• Heavy cream: Whipping the heavy cream into soft peaks before folding it into the cream cheese improves the frosting’s texture and stability.

How to make this recipe

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, spices, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt until smooth and slightly aerated.

Step 2: Fold in the flour gently until the batter is uniform and no dry pockets remain.

Step 3: Fold in the freshly grated carrots and the crushed walnuts until evenly incorporated.

Step 4: Divide the batter evenly among the liners and bake for 18–20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Step 5: For the frosting, chill your mixing bowl (and the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer) for at least one hour. Whisk the heavy cream with the salt, sugar and vanilla on medium-low until the sugar dissolves, then increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form.

Step 6: With the mixer running on low, add the cold cream cheese a tablespoon at a time so it blends smoothly. Scrape down the bowl, then beat on high for a few minutes until the frosting is light and silky. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes and garnish as desired.

Recipe tips and tricks

• Use a kitchen scale and measure ingredients by weight when possible — metric measurements give the most consistent results for baking.
• Bring eggs and other cupcake ingredients (except the cream cheese) to room temperature before starting; this helps the batter emulsify properly.
• Grate fresh carrots rather than using pre-shredded carrots; freshly grated carrots retain more moisture and texture.
• Keep the cream cheese cold for this frosting. Unlike many frostings that require room-temperature ingredients, this version benefits from cold cream cheese folded into whipped cream to keep the frosting stable.

More spring baking ideas

Have you made these cupcakes? Tag me on Instagram @alpineella and consider leaving a review below — I love seeing variations and hearing your feedback.

Recipe

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist carrot cupcakes topped with a light, stable cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 40 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Calories: 312 kcal (estimate)

Ingredients

Carrot Cupcakes

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (99 g) vegetable oil
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (160 g) grated carrots
• 1/4 cup (30 g) crushed walnuts (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/3 cup (75 g) sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (105 g) heavy cream
• 3/4 cup (170 g) cream cheese, cold

Instructions

Carrot Cupcakes

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a muffin tin with 12 liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, spices, vanilla, baking soda and salt until the mixture is smooth and slightly aerated.
3. Fold in the flour until fully incorporated, then add the grated carrots and crushed walnuts and fold gently to combine.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the liners and bake for 18–20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Chill the mixing bowl for at least 1 hour. In the chilled bowl, whisk the heavy cream with the salt, sugar and vanilla on medium-low until the sugar dissolves.
2. Increase the speed and whisk until the cream forms soft peaks and resembles thick Greek yogurt.
3. With the mixer on low, add the cold cream cheese one tablespoon at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl, then increase the speed and whip until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.

Notes

These recipes are developed and tested using metric grams. Using a kitchen scale will give you the most consistent results. Conversions to cups are provided, but metric measurements are recommended when possible.

Room temperature: Bring most ingredients to room temperature about two hours before baking. Keep the cream cheese cold until you are ready to add it to the whipped cream for the frosting.

Nuts: Walnuts may be swapped for pecans or pistachios, or omitted if preferred.

Storage: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition (per cupcake, estimate)

• Calories: 312 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 33 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Fat: 19 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Sugar: 25 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Sodium: 400 mg

Nutrition information is an estimate and should be used as a guide only.

Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @alpineella — I love seeing your versions!