Perfectly spiced Carrot Cake Cupcakes with a honey-sweetened cream cheese frosting. The perfect sweet ending for all your fall dinners.
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 25 minutesminutes
Total Time 45 minutesminutes
Servings 12cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
2eggs
¼cupmilk
1 ⅓cupsall-purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking powder
1teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoonground ginger
¼teaspoonground nutmeg
¼teaspoonsalt
8tablespoonsbutterroom temperature
1cuplight brown sugarpacked
2cupsgrated carrotsabout 4 medium
½cupchopped pecans
For the Frosting:
6ouncescream cheeseroom temperature
½teaspoonvanilla extract
2tablespoonshoney
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin.
Whisk the eggs and milk in a small bowl or measuring cup.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Using a large bowl and an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Lower the mixer speed to medium-low and add half the egg mixture, then half the flour mixture, beating well after each addition. Add the remaining egg mixture and flour mixture. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold in the grated carrots and pecans.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake until the tops are gold and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean - about 22-25 minutes.
Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, stir the cream cheese, vanilla, and honey together until smooth. Pipe or spread the icing on top of the cupcakes.
Notes
Please take the extra few minutes to grate your carrots by hand. They'll add a lot of moisture to the cupcakes if you do. Of course, you can buy shredded carrots but they'll be so much drier than freshly grated ones.I personally like just a little frosting on my cupcakes but if you want more, feel free to double the frosting ingredients.Of course, these cupcakes can be made ahead. Actually, they're even better after a day or so when the flavors have a chance to blend together. Just keep them covered in a cake keeper or put them back in the muffin tin and cover it with foil or plastic wrap.If you're baking for a big party or get-together, you can easily double this recipe to make 24 cupcakes. Don't like pecans? You can easily substitute walnuts if you like. And low-fat or Neufchatel cream cheese works great for the frosting.