These are old-fashioned carrot cake cupcakes with pineapple, shredded coconut, and pureed carrots! They’re topped with a cream cheese frosting and are super moist and delicious!
The name carrot cake doesn’t really describe the actual cake flavor if the cake. You would think it tastes like carrots, right? However, most recipes have a subtle flavor of carrot and the carrots act in different ways to create a moist cake.
In this recipe, the pureed carrots, soften the cupcakes, give them the most beautiful shade of orange, add a little more sweetness and a subtle flavor of carrot.
Another tradition of carrot cake is cream cheese frosting. Like red velvet cake, carrot cake is usually always topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting.
This carrot cake cupcake recipe is one of my favorites because it has pineapple and shredded coconut in it. It uses corn oil, making them very moist and pureed carrots too!
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes from Scratch
Table of Contents
Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour
Granulated Sugar
Baking Soda
Ground Cinnamon
Corn Oil – It’s important to use corn oil as it’s the best oil for this recipe.
Eggs
Vanilla Extract
Pureed Carrots
Shredded Coconut
Canned Crushed Pineapple
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Puree 1 1/3 cup carrots (first chop, then boil, then puree) and set aside.
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Add in the oil, eggs and vanilla and beat well.
Fold in the pureed carrots, shredded coconut and drained pineapple.
Scoop batter into a lined cupcake pan.
Bake until the edges have pulled away or until the toothpick comes out semi-clean. I baked my cupcakes for about 15 minutes… but every oven is different so check on them often.
Cool for a while and then frost with a creamy cream cheese frosting!
How to Puree Carrots
This is an extra step in the recipe, but it’s really easy! You’ll need a powerful blender or food processor.
2 cups roughly chopped carrots.
Boil until the carrots are soft.
Add to the blender with a tablespoon of the carrot water.
Blend until smooth. Add more carrot water if you need it. They should have a thicker consistency.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is very easy to make and SO delicious! It’s light and fluffy and pairs perfectly with classic carrot cake cupcakes.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Vanilla Extract
- Confectioners Sugar
Directions
- Beat the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth.
- Add in the sugar and beat until combined.
- Add to a piping bag and pipe over the cooled cupcakes.
Cupcake Liners
Let’s talk about cupcake liners! There are so many adorable liners out there. For this recipe, we used these tulip liners. Here are some more options:
Can carrot cake cupcakes be frozen?
Yes! They can be frozen before frosted. If you plan on freezing them, wait to frost before serving. Also, let them defrost before frosting and serving. Freeze in an airtight container.
You can also leave these in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before frosting too.
How long do carrot cupcakes last?
About 5 days, stored properly in the refrigerator. Make sure they’re covered well.
How do you keep cupcakes moist?
What makes a cake more moist?
There are several ingredients you can use to make desserts moister. A few that we always like to use are eggs and oil! Even cornstarch can help soften baked good.
More Cupcake Recipes You’ll Love!
Pumpkin Spice Sunflower Cupcakes
Chocolate Dragon Fruit Cupcakes
Let us know if you make these cupcakes by leaving a comment and review below! We would love to hear your thoughts!
Also, tag us @sugarandcharm on social so we can see your desserts! Happy Baking!
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup corn oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup pureed carrots
- 1 cup shredded coconut , sweetened
- 3/4 cup crushed canned pineapple, drained
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 tbsp butter, salted
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
Instructions
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Puree 1 1/3 cup carrots (first chop, then boil, then puree) and set aside.
- Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Add in the oil, eggs and vanilla and beat well.
- Fold in the pureed carrots, shredded coconut and drained pineapple.
- Scoop batter into either a lined cupcake tin.
- Bake until the edges have pulled away or until the toothpick comes out semi-clean. About 15 minutes, but check often as every oven varies!
- Cool for and then frost!
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth.
- Add in the sugar and beat until combined.
- Add to a piping bag and pipe over the cooled cupcakes.
How much cinnamon?
I made this a few days ago and the result was amazing! It’s so moist and tasty everyone at home really loved it. I highly recommend for you to try this one out!
For whatever reason, carrot cake as cupcakes is so, so good!! I think I prefer them as cupcakes! And, that cream cheese frosting is my favorite!
These cupcakes look so, so good! And that frosting! 🙂
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I recently made these for my husbands birthday party and they were such a hit! I even had strangers asking for the recipe. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
These cupcakes look amazing! I looove carrot cake and can’t wait to try these!