Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Try these fluffy spiced carrot cake cupcakes topped with a rich brown sugar cream cheese frosting. You'll love this tasty twist on traditional carrot cake!
Servings 12
Calories 396kcal
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 cup all purpose flour see note
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon increase to 2 teaspoons, if desired
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, light or dark it should be fresh and soft
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups FINELY grated carrots (loosely measured, not packed) about 2 medium carrots
Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to cool room temp
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to cool room temp
- ¾ cup brown sugar, light or dark it should be fresh and soft
- 1 teaspoon molasses optional, see note
- 2 cups powdered sugar plus more if needed
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk oil, applesauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Add dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Stir in carrots using a rubber spatula or spoon.
- Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups (I use an ice cream scoop). Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. These cupcakes do not have a high rise, they'll be just over the top of the paper liner. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting and assembly:
- Place the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat for 1-2 minutes at medium speed. If necessary, scrape the sides of the bowl and the beater, then beat a little longer. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes, to allow the brown sugar to absorb into the wet ingredients (this is to avoid grittiness).
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping the beater and sides of the bowl periodically. If you prefer the frosting thicker, add a little more powdered sugar. Give it a mix on high speed for one full minute. This frosting is on the softer side and it will firm up once refrigerated.
- Spread or pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake (I used a pastry bag and open star decorating tip). Place the cupcakes in the fridge so the frosting can firm up a bit. Serve at cool room temperature.
Video
Notes
FLOUR: Whisk or fluff the flour with your measuring cup, then lightly scoop a heaping cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
MOLASSES: A little bit of molasses helps to intensify the brown sugar flavor and I highly recommend using it. If you don't have it you can leave it out.
Nutrition
Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 154mg | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 3085IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 0.9mg