Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
I’ve never really been a fan of carrot cake. Typically, they’re full of raisins (bleh) and nuts, which I feel takes away from the actual cake. I understand that’s tradition, but I chose to omit the raisins, as it’s my personal preference.
What I love about these cupcakes is the spice added to give it more depth of flavor. The cream cheese frosting adds a wonderful orange flavor to top off the cupcakes. Enjoy them with a coffee or some tea!
Recipe
Ingredients
Carrot cupcakes
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg optional
- 1/2 tsp ginger optional
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
- 3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp grated orange zest
- 1 tbsp orange juice optional
- Chopped pecans for garnish
Instructions
For the cupcakes
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Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners or grease a muffin tin with butter. Set aside.
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In a bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. In a separate bowl, mix together grated carrots, and oil.
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Add in dry ingredients into the carrots. Mix to combine. Add in pre-beaten eggs, vanilla, and pecans. Mix a few times to incorporate. Do not over mix the batter.
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Fill each cupcake liner until it reaches 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven once baked, and let cool completely.
For the frosting
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Beat cream cheese and butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly add in powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time and beat together until you reach your desired sweetness. Add in the orange zest and combine. If you want to thin out the frosting, add in the orange juice. Add to a piping bag and let sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden up.
To assemble
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Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Top with a few pecans and enjoy! Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
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