These mini carrot cake cupcakes are moist, tender, and loaded with classic carrot cake flavor with a citrus twist, thanks to a liberal helping of orange buttercream frosting on top. You’ll be hooked with just one bite.
I absolutely love carrot cake. Its rich texture and complex flavors combine to create what I consider one of the most classic comfort foods you’ll ever enjoy.
Over the years, I’ve made my share of these delicious cakes, and the one I’m most often asked to make is my carrot cake with orange cream cheese frosting.
This cake has been a staple in my holiday and dessert rotation for years, and no one ever gets tired of it, especially me! I love it so much, I even turned it into carrot cake cupcakes.
Now, I’ve taken that classic flavor and turned it into fun-sized treats with these mini carrot cake cupcakes. They have all the rich flavor and texture of classic carrot cake, but in a mini form. I even top them with my sweet, citrusy orange buttercream.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: Both the cupcakes and the orange buttercream are made with basic baking staples found in any kitchen or grocery store.
- Easy: Although made completely from scratch, this mini cupcake recipe is very easy to make, requiring just a few simple steps and about 35 minutes from start to finish.
- Classic Flavor: Every bite of these cupcakes is filled with the classic flavors of sweet carrot, pineapple, and coconut, with the bright, sweet, citrusy flavor of orange buttercream frosting on top.
- Moist and Tender: These cupcakes are made with buttermilk, which creates a super moist and tender texture and a wonderful crumb.
- Versatile: These mini cupcakes have a classic flavor that’s perfect for weeknight desserts, but they’re served in a tiny, adorable package that makes them great for any kind of party or special occasion.
Ingredients
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Variations
- Vegetable Oil: Use coconut oil to add a bit more coconut flavor to your carrot cake.
- Walnuts: Chopped pecans or almonds both work well in place of walnuts.
- Frosting: You can frost your cupcake with plain buttercream or cream cheese frosting as well.
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour in equal amounts to make a gluten-free version of this recipe.
How to Make Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Beat the wet ingredients in another large mixing bowl until combined.
Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on low speed until just combined. Then, fold in the grated carrots, coconut, and pineapple.
Step 4: Fill the lined wells of a muffin pan ¾ full with the batter.
Step 5: Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes in the pan. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6: Beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Then, add the remaining frosting ingredients and beat until smooth.
Step 7: Frost the cupcakes generously with the frosting, and enjoy!
Tips
- Mix your batter ingredients until just combined for the most tender cupcakes. Overmixing the batter creates excess gluten, which will make the cupcakes tough.
- Use a folding motion to mix in the carrots, pineapple, and coconut. Again, this helps prevent the formation of excess gluten.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then, pour in milk until it reaches the one cup line. Let it sit for five minutes, and you have buttermilk!
- For the best crown on your cupcakes, let the batter rest for about 10 minutes before baking them.
- Be sure your cupcakes are fully cooled before frosting them. Even slightly warm cupcakes will cause the frosting to thin, resulting in it sliding off them.
Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes FAQ
It sure can! That’s what this recipe does. Simply use muffin tins instead of cake pans, and you have carrot cake cupcakes.
All you need to do to transform carrot cake into carrot cake cupcakes is pour the batter into lined muffin tins rather than a cake pan. After that, bake the cupcakes at the same temperature you would for a cake. You’ll bake the cupcakes for less time, so check them for doneness with a toothpick after about 20 minutes.
Using the correct amount of flour and proper mixing are the two keys to tender cupcakes. Loosely spoon your flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife to ensure you use the correct amount. Then, mix your dry and wet ingredients until just combined, meaning everything is moistened but not mixed until smooth.
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Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
- ¾ cups vegetable oil
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 20 ounce crushed pineapple, drained
- 3 ½ cups carrots, grated
- 1 ½ cups coconut, flaked
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Orange Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º and prepare a muffin pan with liners.
Cupcakes
- In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on low until combined.
- Add flour mixture into the large bowl. Mix on low until combined with wet ingredients.
- Fold in grated carrots, coconut, pineapple, and stir.
- Fill up each liner ¾ full. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the center is fully cooked.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
Orange Buttercream Frosting
- In a medium bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla, powdered sugar, orange zest, and orange juice. Beat until smooth.
- Frost cupcakes and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Wrap chilled cupcakes in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to a month in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Mix your batter ingredients until just combined for the most tender cupcakes. Overmixing the batter creates excess gluten, which will make the cupcakes tough.
- Use a folding motion to mix in the carrots, pineapple, and coconut. Again, this helps prevent the formation of excess gluten.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then, pour in milk until it reaches the one cup line. Let it sit for five minutes, and you have buttermilk!
- For the best crown on your cupcakes, let the batter rest for about 10 minutes before baking them.
- Be sure your cupcakes are fully cooled before frosting them. Even slightly warm cupcakes will cause the frosting to thin, resulting in it sliding off them.
Nutrition
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