Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Since I started making cupcakes for my co-workers on their birthdays, it has been a lot of fun seeing what each person ends up requesting! Some have requested traditional flavors, some took to the “challenge” and thought of unique concoctions. It sure has been fun baking these treats for them!

We have been on a birthday drought since May… so I was excited for August to roll around and bring 3 birthdays! The first August birthday gal requested carrot cupcakes. Now this seems like an easy request, but there are so many different variations to this all-American treat that it was hard picking one recipe. The birthday gal had requested a more traditional cake, so that did help narrow it down. I chose this recipe from Hello, Cupcake! and was not disappointed! It was super moist, and the raisins and walnuts added a nice balance to the actual batter. I modified the recipe a little by adding more carrots. Also, after making these cupcakes and tasting how sweet they were (in my opinion), I plan on decreasing the sugar amount from the original recipe next time I make them. *Recipe below reflects the changes made to the sugars and shredded carrot.

This cream cheese frosting is my favorite of all time! It is super creamy and easy to make. I use heavy cream instead of milk to add to the creaminess of the frosting. This frosting does not get very firm, so you would not be able to make intricate detailing with it. If you want a little more consistency to the frosting, place the finished frosting in the fridge for about an hour before decorating the cupcakes.

Enjoy! :-)

Carrot Cupcakes

Makes 20-22 cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups AP flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots (about 4 medium carrots)

½ cup dark raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1.    Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 20-22 muffin cups with paper liners.

2.    Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Then add the raisins and chopped walnuts and mix until coated well.

3.    In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, oil, and milk until light and thick. Stir in the vanilla.

4.    Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in the carrots until well blended.

5.    Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with batter. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the baking pan, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 3 ¼ cups

Ingredients:

8 oz (1 package) cream cheese, softened

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

16 oz (1 box) confectioners’ sugar

1-2 Tbsp heavy cream (or milk)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1.    Combine the cream cheese and the butter in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

2.    Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and 1 Tbsp of the heavy cream and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract, and the remaining 1 Tbsp cream if the mixture is too thick.

Adapted from Hello, Cupcake!