Last updated on February 15th, 2025 at 11:51 pm
Let’s talk about carrot cake cupcakes—the perfect mix of warm spices, sweet carrots, and dreamy cream cheese frosting. They’re like a hug in cupcake form! And the best part? You don’t need to start from scratch. With a few simple tweaks, a boxed cake mix can give you bakery-quality results without the extra work. If you love the idea of making carrot cake cupcakes easy and stress-free, this recipe is for you. I’ll show you how to enhance a store-bought mix and whip up the creamiest homemade cream cheese frosting.
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Ingredients for Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Here’s what you’ll need to transform a basic carrot cake cupcakes box recipe into something extra special:
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 box carrot cake mix
- ¾ cup buttermilk (or ¾ cup milk and ¾ tablespoon white vinegar)
- ½ cup melted butter (or vegetable oil, but butter is better!)
- 4 large eggs (instead of the 3 usually called for)
- 1 cup finely grated fresh carrots
- 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream (for fluffiness)
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes Easy
Make the Cupcakes
1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (instead of 350°F for a more even bake). Line two cupcake pans with 22 liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake mix and pumpkin pie spice
3. Add the buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
4. Fold in the grated carrots until evenly combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full.
6. Bake for 13-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let them cool completely before frosting.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
2. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed at first, then increase to medium-high and mix until smooth.
3. Add 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream and beat for another 1-2 minutes, until fluffy.
4. If needed, add a little extra powdered sugar for a thicker frosting, or more cream for a softer texture.
5. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (I like the Wilton 1M tip for cupcakes)
6. Pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes in swirls
7. Garnish with chopped nuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or toasted coconut if desired.
Pro Tips
- Room Temp Ingredients: Let your eggs, cream cheese, and butter come to room temperature for the best texture. Trust me! You don’t want to make cream cheese frosting with cream cheese that’s still cold. I’ve made that mistake too many times, and it’s just not worth it.
- Make the Frosting Homemade: I know it’s super tempting to buy the convenient cream cheese frosting in a tub at the grocery store! But homemade frosting really can’t be beat. If you want to take your boxed cake mix cupcakes to the next level, homemade frosting is really the best way to do that.
- Customizations: Love raisins in your carrot cake? Toss in 1/4 cup! How about nuts? Throw in walnuts or even some coconut.
- Storing: Keep these cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days (because of the cream cheese). Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving. Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge for up to 5 days. If unfrosted, they can stay at room temperature for 2 days in an airtight container.
FAQs
Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
Absolutely! Bake the cupcakes a day before and store them unfrosted in an airtight container. Frost just before serving.
How do I adjust my frosting consistency?
If your cream cheese frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. If you think your frosting is too thick, add a bit of heavy whipping cream a teaspoon at a time.
Do I have to use the extra mix-ins?
You can totally bake the box mix according to its instructions if you don’t have the extra stuff. However, I did a taste test to see if I liked the plain box mix cake before writing this, and I have to say that I thought it was a little lackluster. The buttermilk, butter, extra carrots, etc. really add to the box mix’s overall flavor and texture. I was really hesitant about the extra carrots to see if it was worth my effort in grating them, and I truly do think it was! I love to be a lazy baker whenever possible, but these extras really make for a better cupcake overall.
And there you have it—a foolproof carrot cake cupcakes recipe that starts with a boxed mix but tastes like you spent all day baking. Happy baking!
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- 1 box carrot cake mix I used Betty Crocker, but a similar brand would work just as well
- 3/4 cup buttermilk Or 3/4 cup milk mixed with 3/4 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 4 eggs Or add 1 egg to the number of eggs your cake mix calls for (usually it's 3 eggs, so you would want 4 for extra fluffiness)
- 1 cup finely grated fresh carrots
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream or milk
Instructions
Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (instead of 350°F for a more even bake). Line two cupcake pans with 22 liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake mix and pumpkin pie spice
- Add the buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
- Fold in the grated carrots until evenly combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 13-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before adding frosting.
Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed at first, then increase to medium-high and mix until smooth
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream and beat for another 1-2 minutes, until fluffy.
- If needed, add a little extra powdered sugar for a thicker frosting, or more cream for a softer texture.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (I like the Wilton 1M tip for cupcakes)
- Pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes in swirls
- Garnish with chopped nuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or toasted coconut if desired.
