These deliciously moist and fluffy carrot cake cupcakes are topped with a light and tangy cream cheese frosting. Finished off with some berries and a chocolate treat, I’m pretty sure they count as one of you five a day.

Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting is the ultimate match made in heaven. I for you cannot get enough of those deeply spiced cupcakes slathered in that thick, creamy frosting. It’s my ultimate cupcake combo and what I’ll always opt for if I’m in a cafe. Carrot cake cupcakes or lemon drizzle will always win out over anything else on offer. Hands down! This recipe is something I’ve been perfecting in the bakery for years and it’s finally there. Don’t take my word for it, try them out for yourselves.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

Light Brown Sugar – Brown sugar adds extra moistness to the cake crumb as well as a deeper flavour. You can use a 50/50 mix of brown and caster but the texture will be slightly heavier.
Self Raising Flour – I always use self raising flour in my cupcakes as I think you get a better result than using plain with added raising agents. You can use plain flour with a tsp of baking powder but do not use bicarbonate of soda unless you want green carrots! So weird!
Mixed Spice – Mixed spice is a blend of cinnamon, mace, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. You can substitute for allspice or just cinnamon if you prefer.
Eggs – Always large, always free range.
Sunflower Oil – Any flavourless oil can be used in place of sunflower oil. Just don’t use a strong flavoured oil such as olive or coconut as it will effect the taste.
Carrots – Weigh your grated carrots rather than whole. You’ll need around 2 medium carrots for this recipe.
Cream Cheese – Always use full fat cream cheese, low fat will lead to runny frosting.
Butter – Room temperature, unsalted.
Icing Sugar – Also known as confectioners sugar.
Milk – Full fat.

Tips for making carrot cake cupcakes:

What kind of oil shall I use? – I used sunflower oil in these cupcakes but any flavourless oil will do the job. Do not use olive or coconut oil as it will effect the flavour of the finished cake.
Can I use caster sugar instead of light brown sugar? – Yes you can but the cakes wont be quite as deeply flavoured and will be slightly heavier.
Can I use plain flour? – Yes, just add an extra teaspoon of baking powder to the flour.
Can I use baking soda in this recipe? – No! If you use baking soda in carrot cake a weird chemical reaction happens and turns the carrots green. Gross, right!
Can I make these gluten free? – Yes, you can use a gluten free flour blend, my favourite is Doves.
Can I add walnuts or raisins to this recipe? – Yes! Add 100g chopped walnuts or 100g of raisins (or 50g of each)to the batter with the carrots. I kept this one plain so it was accessible but I love walnuts and raisins in carrot cake.
Can I use low fat cream cheese in the frosting? – No, always use full fat cream cheese in baking. Low fat cream cheese has a higher water content which will make your frosting super runny.
Can I freeze this recipe? – Yes, place the un iced cupcakes on a baking tray and pop in the freezer till frozen solid. They can then be wrapped in a double layer of cling film or placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months.

More Easter Recipes:

Easter Slutty Brownies // Easter Linzer Cookies // Malteser Bunny NYC Cookies // Mini Egg Giant Cookie // Malteser Bunny Cheesecake // Mini Egg Cookies // Creme Egg Milkshake