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    Carrot Cake Cupcakes

    05/06/2020 by thebakingexplorer 23 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    I absolutely love carrot cake, and the best bit of course is the cream cheese frosting! These Carrot Cake Cupcakes are perfectly sized portions of deliciously spiced and moist carrot cake, topped with the most divine cream cheese frosting that's also super thick and pipeable. It can be hard in the UK to get cream cheese frosting to work, but this recipe is the sure fire way to make it work. I love to put raisins and pecans in my carrot cake, but this part of the recipe is very flexible so if you don't like them or prefer walnuts instead, it's easy to adapt it.

    Carrot Cake Cupcakes

    Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

    • Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
    • The pecans are optional, you could omit them entirely, or use another nut like walnuts.
    • The raisins are optional too, you can leave them out or replace them with dried cramberries, sultanas or even chopped up dried apricots.
    • Mixed spice is a British spice blend usually containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, you can use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead. Or try 1 + ¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cloves.
    • I prefer to use Philadelphia full fat cream cheese for the buttercream as it gives me the best results.
    • Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
    • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

    For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

    How to make Carrot Cake Cupcakes

    To make the cupcakes start by soaking the raisins in the orange juice, set them aside whilte you prepare the other ingredients. Then mix together the eggs, vegetable oil and light brown sugar. Add the grated carrot and the raisin and orange juice mixture. and mix them in.

    Add the self raising flour, wholemeal flour, mixed spice, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and mix them in. Finally, stir in the chopped pecans.

    Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases and bake them for 25 minutes.

    For the cream cheese frosting, beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth, then mix in the icing sugar. Once that is smooth, mix in the cream cheese and vanilla extract until it's just mixed in. Be careful not to over mix as that can make it sloppy.

    Carrot Cake Cupcakes

    How should the cupcakes be stored and can they be frozen?

    The cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and will last for 3-4 days. You can freeze the cupcakes either alone, or decorated (but do not freeze the carrot decorations). Once the cupcakes are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container. You can freeze the cream cheese frosting on it’s own in a tub, or you can decorate the cupcakes and freeze them assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze them either in an airtight container, or let them freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take them out to defrost, if you don’t it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens.

    Can you make this recipe with plain/all purpose flour?

    Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 1 teaspoon baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

    Can this recipe be made gluten free?

    Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend, and the plain wholemeal flour with a gluten free plain flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additonal baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 1 teaspoon baking powder. You may also like to add ¼ tsp Xanthan Gum for better texture.

    Can this recipe be made dairy free?

    Great news, the cupcakes are already dairy free! I haven't tried making the cream cheese frosting with dairy free substitutes so I don't know what the results will be. If you'd like to top them with a dairy free vanilla buttercream instead, you can find details on my Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes recipe.

    Can this recipe be made nut free?

    Yes, you can leave out the pecans and this will then be a nut free recipe. Please do check the labels of everything you use though in case of cross contamination.

    Can this recipe be made into a cake?

    For a cake version of this recipe, check out my Carrot Cake recipe!

    Carrot Cake Cupcakes

    What is the best way to grate the carrots?

    You don't need to peel the carrots before you grate them, but you can if you want to. I use a box grater and grate it by hand. You can also grate the carrot using a food processor with a grating attachment. I also dont cut the top root off the carrot, hold onto that bit then you can grate them right up to it, then throw the root away.

    Do you need an electric mixer to make the cupcakes?

    No, in fact I find these cupcakes easier to make by hand with a hand whisk or spatula/spoon. You could use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, but keep it on a low speed to avoid over mixing.

    More tips for making the Carrot Cake Cupcakes:

    • The pecans and raisins are optional, you don't have to include them if you don't want. You can also swap them for walnuts or sultanas.
    • If you can't get hold of the fondant carrots, you could decorate with a sprinkle of chopped pecans, leave them plain, or some candied carrot curls - check my Autumn Vegetable Cake for instructions on how to make them!
    • Carrot cake batter can be quite "wet" and hard to spoon into the cupcake cases. I like to put it in a jug and pour it into the cases, or put it in a piping bag and pipe it in them. It makes it so much easier and reduces the mess!
    • Make sure to store these cupcakes in the fridge once they've been frosted.
    Carrot Cake Cupcakes

    Troubleshooting

    If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

    Recommended equipment & ingredients*

    • Cupcake tin
    • Mixing bowls
    • Kitchen scales
    • Electric hand mixer
    • Cooling rack
    • Piping bags
    • Brown cupcake cases
    • Fondant carrots
    • Ateco 829 piping nozzle
    • Mixed spice

    *I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!

    Carrot Cake Cupcakes

    More Carrot Cake recipes...

    • Carrot Cake Cookies
    • Carrot Cake
    • Autumn Vegetable Cake
    • Vegan Carrot Cake Baked Donuts
    Carrot Cake Cupcakes

    Carrot Cake Cupcakes

    Delicious moist carrot cupcakes with pecans and raisins, topped with cream cheese frosting
    4.84 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: European
    Keyword: Cupcake
    Prep Time: 40 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Author: thebakingexplorer

    Ingredients

    For the cupcakes

    • 2 tbsp Orange juice (or water)
    • 45 g Raisins or sultanas
    • 2 Eggs large
    • 135 ml Vegetable oil
    • 135 g Light brown sugar
    • 165 g Carrot grated
    • 100 g Self raising flour
    • 65 g Wholemeal plain flour
    • ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
    • A pinch of Baking powder
    • 1 ½ tsp Mixed spice
    • ½ tsp Cinnamon
    • 45 g Pecans chopped

    For the cream cheese frosting

    • 135 g Butter
    • 135 g Icing sugar
    • 270 g Full fat cream cheese
    • ½ tsp Vanilla extract

    For decoration

    • 12 Fondant carrots optional
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases
    • Put the raisins into a bowl and pour the orange juice over them. Leave them to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients
    • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs and light brown sugar
    • Add the grated carrot and the raisins, including the orange juice, and mix in
    • Add the self raising flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder, mixed spice, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda. Mix them in
    • Add the chopped pecans and stir them in
    • Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases. As carrot cake batter is quite 'wet' I find it easier to either pour the mixture into the cases with a jug or put it into a piping bag and pipe it into the cases
    • Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Leave to cool completely
    • To make the cream cheese frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until smooth. Then mix in the icing sugar until the mixture is smooth
    • Next, add the cream cheese and the vanilla extract and mix in until the frosting is thick and smooth
    • Pipe the cream cheese frosting onto each cupcake using a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle. Or spread on with a spoon
    • Decorate with the fondant carrots, or decorations of your choice
    • Store in an airtight container in the fridge, eat leftovers within 3 days
    Made this recipe?Share on Instagram with me @TheBakingExplorer or tag #thebakingexplorer!

    Video

    Notes

    • Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
    • The pecans are optional, you could omit them entirely, or use another nut like walnuts.
    • The raisins are optional too, you can leave them out or replace them with dried cramberries, sultanas or even chopped up dried apricots.
    • Mixed spice is a British spice blend usually containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, you can use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead. Or try 1 + ¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cloves.
    • I prefer to use Philadelphia full fat cream cheese for the buttercream as it gives me the best results.
    • Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
    • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 2929IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

    If you like this, check out more of my Cupcake recipes!

    « Snickers Millionaire's Shortbread
    Eton Mess Rocky Road »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rebecca Smith

      June 06, 2020 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      Never thought to make carrot cake into individual cupcakes. I love this idea and am going to tweak this to be gluten free. Can't wait.

      Reply
    2. The Happy Whisk (Ivy)

      June 08, 2020 at 4:17 am

      5 stars
      Oh my gosh. I love, love, carrot cupcakes and that little carrot on top is too stinkin' cute! Love it.

      Reply
    3. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie

      June 08, 2020 at 12:15 pm

      5 stars
      Carrot cake in cupcake form??? YES PLEASE! Eb x

      Reply
    4. Helen - Cooking with my kids

      June 08, 2020 at 9:09 pm

      5 stars
      These look great. I used to be like you and assumed I wouldn't like carrot cake. How wrong I was!

      Reply
    5. Amber

      June 17, 2020 at 10:25 pm

      Hi! What nozzle did you use to achieve the piping please? They look amazing. X

      Reply
    6. Ash

      June 21, 2020 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and easy! Thanks 😁

      Reply
    7. Kolaylezzet

      June 25, 2020 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for these impressive cupcakes.

      Reply
    8. Elizabeth Wabara

      July 04, 2020 at 11:05 am

      5 stars
      Well I made these yesterday and OMG they were a huge hit absolutely delicious I'm making them again next week! X

      Reply
    9. Ruby

      October 13, 2020 at 2:09 pm

      5 stars
      Made a batch of these last night as a test before a party this weekend, told my partner he could take some to work as I'd made twelve... unfortunately for his colleagues these were so good we've eaten them all already !!!
      I swapped pecans for walnuts, and skipped the raisins, cooked in a microwave oven for 22 min and were perfect.

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 14, 2020 at 9:14 am

        I'm so glad you both enjoyed them so much they never left the house! Thanks so much for your lovely feedback 🙂

        Reply
    10. Nicole

      October 20, 2020 at 6:55 pm

      Tried this recipe and can't for the life of me get the buttercream icing to the right consistency, I'm following the correct measurements but it always seems to go too runny and I have to try and thicken it in the fridge! What am I doing wrong!?

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 20, 2020 at 9:17 pm

        Hi Nicole, once it goes runny you will struggle to bring it back unfortunately. Check you are mixing in in the right order, so butter first, then icing sugar, then cream cheese. Don't over mix, once it's combined and thick you can stop mixing, I'd say it takes no longer than 1-2 minutes. I recommend using Philadelphia as it is the thickest cream cheese available in the UK and has the lowest water content. Use real proper butter, not margarine or a baking spread. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    11. Melissa

      February 03, 2021 at 9:06 pm

      Hi can I replace the oil with unsalted butter!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        February 03, 2021 at 9:38 pm

        Hi Melissa, I've never used butter in carrot cake I always use oil, the general advice is that they can be substituted. I would suggest melting the butter, letting it cool then adding in the same way as the oil. Please do let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    12. Katy

      March 31, 2021 at 7:09 am

      5 stars
      Another perfectly delicious recipe, went down a treat with adults and kids!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        March 31, 2021 at 8:33 am

        Thank you Katy!

        Reply
    13. Paula

      May 03, 2021 at 10:04 am

      If I dont use the icing can the cake part be stored at room temp in an airtight container?

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        May 03, 2021 at 1:20 pm

        Hi Paula, yes that's right, it can be stored at room temp in an airtight container if it's just the cake 🙂

        Reply
      • Puneet Bhachu

        August 05, 2021 at 1:52 pm

        5 stars
        This is such a delicious recipe, love the addition of the orange! Anyone who makes this will not be disappointed 😍

        Reply
    14. Kate

      January 16, 2022 at 8:48 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made this recipe quite a few times and every time they turn out perfect! I make these cupcakes without the nuts and sultanas and the cakes are always perfectly spiced and moist and the cream cheese frosting is so incredibly delicious!😋 I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone - super easy recipe to follow and really tasty!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        January 16, 2022 at 11:03 pm

        Thank you so much for such lovely feedback Kate!

        Reply
    15. Sarah

      February 15, 2022 at 5:41 pm

      3 stars
      Hi, I’ve just made a batch of these replacing the sultanas and pecans with extra spices ie ginger and nutmeg. I’ve made these before like this with all white flour, so was surprised this time using wholemeal flour with the grainy texture and lack of flavour of the actual cupcakes. Please help? Thanks so very much.

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        February 16, 2022 at 3:52 pm

        Hi Sarah, I can't explain how you found the cupcakes to lack flavour when you added extra spices. They are very flavoursome as they are, so I would expect extra spices to make them more flavoursome. The wholemeal flour also shouldn't make the cupcakes grainy at all. Did you do anything else differently? Or swap any other ingredients? Unfortunately whenever you veer away from recipes and make various subtitutions it can often lead to unwanted results.

        Reply

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