Carrot Cake Cupcakes
These easy, fluffy carrot cake cupcakes use a box mix as their base with some extra ingredients to make them taste homemade. They're topped with a generous swirl of cream cheese frosting.
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.