Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes

5 from 2 votes

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.

Prep Time25

Cook Time8

Total Time33

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Bite-Size Cupcakes, Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Mini Cupcakes

Servings: Mini Cupcakes

Calories: 100kcal

Author: Great Grub, Delicious Treats

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

Storage

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.

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.

Nutritional values are approximate.

Please note that these values can change with different brands and any modifications made to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements.

Nutrition