Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting ~ easy cupcake reicpe from scratch! Freshly grated carrots and applesauce make them moist and delicious. Top with homemade cream cheese frosting and finely chopped pecans.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Dry cupcake ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Wet cupcake ingredients:
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots
The frosting:
- 8 ounce brick cream cheese ~ room temp
- 1/2 stick butter ~ room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup plus finely chopped pecans for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Shredding the carrots:
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove the outer layer from the carrot then using the finest holes on a box grater, shred the carrots.
- In a small bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon then set aside.
- In a medium bowl blend by hand the vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla and grated carrots. Using a mixer will make the cupcakes dense.
- Gradually fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture just until it’s combined without overmixing.
- Grease a muffin tin or line with papers then divide the batter between them about 2/3 of the way up each. Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean then cool completely.
- Using a hand mixer, combine the frosting ingredients. It's important the butter and cream cheese are room temperature.
- This recipe makes a generous amount of frosting and can be halved if you prefer less. Frost each cupcake then sprinkle with finely chopped pecans.