Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe - Pinch of Yum
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Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

32 reviews / 4.7 average

I am dying over here.

First of all, these extremely moist, sweet, and perfectly dense carrot cake cupcakes are killing me softly with each bite and it hurts so good. This recipe comes from a neighbor in my hometown {hi, Pam!} and it is seriously the BEST carrot cake I’ve evereverever had.

True story: when we were in college, I made this for Bjork’s birthday. Being the proper and polite girl that I was, I ate one small piece.

And then I hid behind his loft bed and shoved extra large bites in my mouth and hoped he wouldn’t notice that a whole row of his birthday cake was gone.

Nowadays we can be open about those things. #marriage #loveu

These carrot cake cupcakes are made from a small town blue ribbon recipe. Sweet, moist, dense, and perfect topped with cream cheese frosting. | pinchofyum.com

There’s another reason I’m dying lately, and it’s this gem of a site. Hey Girl. You’re welcome.

If there’s one thing that can make me fall off the elliptical at the gym, it’s that right there.

As a result of eating cupcakes and perusing Hey Girl posters, I’ve been catching myself smiling like a weirdo during random times of the day. Like when you have a secret and you remember it all over again and you become a perma-smiling gooney. Discreet is probably my middle name.

But this time I don’t really have a secret. I just have Ryan and Bjork feeding me teacher love lines, and me feeding myself even more cupcakes.

Ohmygoodness. I could get used to this.

These carrot cake cupcakes are made from a small town blue ribbon recipe. Sweet, moist, dense, and perfect topped with cream cheese frosting. | pinchofyum.com
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Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting


Description

These carrot cake cupcakes are made from a small town blue ribbon recipe. Sweet, moist, dense, and perfect topped with cream cheese frosting.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups sifted flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups grated raw carrots
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/4 lb. butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 lb. powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients and oil with carrots. Add one egg at a time and beat well after each egg.
  2. Bake for 50 minutes in a 9×13 inch pan. Let cool completely. (For cupcakes, pour batter into greased or lined muffin tins. Fill them about 3/4 of the way to the top and bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until tops spring back when you touch them. This amount will make about 24 cupcakes.)
  3. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until creamy. Add powdered sugar. Spread frosting over cooled cake.
  4. Refrigerate and eat cold for best taste!

Notes

It sounds weird to refrigerate this cake and eat it cold, but seriously, it’s a must. It gets so moist and yummy after sitting in the fridge overnight!

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: carrot cake cupcakes, cream cheese frosting, carrot cake dessert

Will I fit in my jeans on Monday after the Super Bowl?

I love you, jeggings. I. Love. You.

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189 Comments

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Sometimes I think that carrot cakes look a bit sad but these look so absolutely amazingly delicious. That fluffy cream cheese frosting is just the (literal) icing on the cake.

    Just going to send that tumblr link to my best friend who is also a teacher!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Wow – that’s quite the statement! You and my husband are the same in your carrot cake loving ways. If you like carrot cake that much, you MUST try this. It’s a winner. I made this into cupcakes but it’s amazing as a cake, especially after sitting in the fridge overnight.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Oh great to know! I’m planning on making these for my son’s birthday but wanted to make them the afternoon before but was afraid to a) make them that far in advance and b) put them in the fridge. Sounds like they’ll be just as good! Thanks and can’t wait to eat them!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      That’s why I made these into cupcakes – I would have eaten at least 5 rows of cake!

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Oh, I’m so glad you posted this! I love good old fashioned staple recipes, and I haven’t found one for carrot cake yet. Very excited about this. And why does it feel like this one just has YOU written all over it? It’s very sweet ;). Thank you! I bet this one will be on our Easter buffet!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Ohh boy. The one with 1 1/3 cups of oil and sugar has ME written all over it? I guess I take that as a compliment. 🙂

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Holy carrots. That’s a LOT – what are you planning to do with them (besides making these??)?

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Hahahah, I love the picture of the demolished cupcake at the bottom. That’s what all of mine look like when I get to ’em! Cream cheese frosting…you have the key to my heart.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I didn’t even plan for that (…obviously, it’s a big carrot cakey mess), but the little dollop of cream cheese frosting on the side of the plate was too cute not to photograph. 🙂

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I really love carrot cake, but I never make it. The last time I made one was a birthday cake for Jesus in Christmas 2010 and on the way to the car my husband dropped it in the grass. Ruined. It made me sad. I think it’s time to get over that tragedy and hop back on the carrot cake making bandwagon.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Ohmygosh, that is SAD. I love that you even mentioned the year that this happened… it obviously is still painful. 🙂

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I’ve made some carrot cupcakes like these before and they were a must – gonna try your recipe soon! Is it weird that I feel “healthier” for eating carrot cupcakes? That must be at least a serving of vegetables there 🙂

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I thought the same thing as I dumped 3 cups of grated carrots into the batter. It really is a ton of carrots! Although there’s plenty of other stuff in there to balance out all that healthiness. 🙂

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Oh you are evil! I have an extreme love affair with carrot cake, and these sound so freaking awesome! They look so cute and decadent and I have a feeling if I make these I will eat the whole damn batch. But they have carrots in them, so they’re healthy, right? Oh and I know this is a stupid question, but how much is a 1/4 lb of butter? A whole stick? Not sure on this one and don’t want to over or under do it.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        So excited to try this! It’s it possible to use canola oil in place of vegetable oil or will that change things? Thanks for sharing!

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I love love love love LOVE the link to the “Hey Girl” quotes… it makes me miss my classroom a little bit (I’m staying at home with babies now). I can totally relate to the whole shoving-cake-in-your-mouth incident… my husband is gluten free – which means I ALWAYS get to eat the whole cake 🙂

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Carrot cake is my absolute favorite. I have made more than my fair share. But will add another recipe to my collection because these beauties could not look more delicious. LOVE THEM!

  9. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Hey Lindsey!
    These look so yummy! I may have to make them this week!
    On this beautiful day here in Iceland, the sun is shining and everyone is going skiing.
    Hope you and Bjork are having a nice day!
    Gunna.

  10. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Carrot cake must be the food of the Super Bowl this year! This is like the 3rd blog in a row I’ve bumped into with it. Carrot cake used to be my favorite dessert b/c I’d lick off all of the cream cheese frosting first. Drooling!!

  11. Pinch of Yum Logo

    These look wonderful! I noticed that you don’t have any baking powder or baking soda listed…is that correct? Just making sure before I bake a batch off!