Carrot Cupcakes With Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

18 cupcakes
40 min

Take your carrot cake to a whole new level with these tender, light, all natural, bright orange Carrot Cupcakes frosted with this amazing, dreamy Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting!

These are nice and light, not your typical dense carrot cakes, not that there is anything wrong with dense, I like dense, I can be dense…

These moist, simple and naturally orange tinted cupcakes engage your senses with an aromatic balance of spices and topped with this AH-mazing brown sugar cream cheese frosting.

Start by mixing your dry ingredients together in a small bowl.


Use a fork or a whisk.

Next finely grate your carrots, I used my teensy-tiny grater plate on my food processor, if you don’t have one, just use the smallest side of your grater, you get all of the color and flavor and fiber I might add, but no large chunks, rather they are somewhat pulverized.


The recipe makes 18 regular sized cupcakes; I made 12 regular sized carrot cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes.


Bake at 350° for about 18 minutes, until tops spring back when lightly touched. Mini cupcakes bake for about 15-16 minutes.


Remove from oven and cool in pan for 2-3 minutes. This picture makes them look a bit pale, but they are a beautiful light orange color. After a couple minutes, gently remove them from the muffin tins and place on cooling rack.

Frost as desired, enjoy!

Store in Carrot Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. May be refrigerated or frozen — bring to room temperature prior to serving. 

Give them a whirl! And if you think this recipe is amazing with this frosting, then you have got to try these recipes!


Carrot Cupcakes With Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe details
  • 18  cupcakes
  • Prep time: 20 Minutes Cook time: 20 Minutes Total time: 40 min
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Ingredients
Carrot Cupcakes
  • 1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon + ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon + ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar (I use natural cane sugar)
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup oil (I like avocado or grapeseed oil)
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 1 ½ cups carrots, finely grated
  • ¼- ½ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
FROSTING
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • dash of salt
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (may need a bit more or less)
  • 2 Tablespoons walnuts, chopped of halves for topping (optional)
Instructions
CUPCAKES
In the bowl of a mixer, toss in sugar, eggs and oil; beat on medium speed (start slow and increase slowly, so you don't sploosh everywhere), it should be thick and foamy, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile while that is mixing, in a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Add sour cream, vanilla and grated carrots (I pulverized mine in my food processor, super fine) and mix well, might not fully come together and will be rather "soupy." Slowly add your dry ingredients and stir or mix on lowest setting just until blended.
Double up your cupcake liners if desired, spray lightly with non-stick spray or oil, this will help them release easier. Fill cupcake liners slightly more than ½ full.
Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes until tops spring back when lightly touched. For mini-cupcakes bake for about 15-16 minutes.
Remove from oven to cooling rack, let rest 2-3 minutes in pan, then transfer cupcakes to cooling rack to cool completely.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Buttercream
Beat together the cream cheese, butter and brown sugar until light and smooth. Try medium-high speed for about 2 minutes.
IMPORTANT!! Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes until brown sugar dissolves completely into the butter/cheese mixture. If not you will have gritty frosting.
Next add vanilla, salt and enough powdered sugar to make a thick frosting. I used a large star tip to frost the cupcakes. If you don't want as much frosting on these cupcakes, or plan on just spreading it on, you may halve the recipe for the frosting. But, why would you do that?
Tips
  • It is important to allow the butter and brown sugar mixture sit for 10-15 minutes in order to allow the brown sugar to dissolve into the buttercream. If you rush this step you will still have delicious but gritty frosting.
Kathleen | The Fresh Cooky
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