Description
Carrot cake cupcakes weave pure comfort into each delectable bite, bringing classic bakery charm straight to your kitchen counter. Warm spices and moist crumb make these little treats perfect for sharing with friends and family during afternoon coffee breaks.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups grated carrots
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Spices and Leavening:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup crushed pineapple
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Warm your kitchen by preheating the oven to exactly 350°F and line a standard muffin tray with 12 cupcake liners.
- Grab a medium bowl and whisk 1 ½ cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, and ¼ tsp nutmeg until thoroughly blended.
- In a large mixing bowl, vigorously whisk ½ cup vegetable oil and 1 cup sugar until smooth and integrated.
- Crack 2 large eggs into the oil-sugar mixture, adding them one at a time and mixing completely after each addition.
- Stir 1 tsp vanilla extract into the wet ingredients until evenly distributed.
- Gently fold 1 ½ cups grated carrots and ½ cup drained crushed pineapple into the liquid mixture.
- If using, mix in ½ cup chopped walnuts and ½ cup raisins until just incorporated.
- Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients, stirring gently until barely combined. Some small lumps are perfectly acceptable.
- Use a cookie scoop to fill each cupcake liner about ¾ full with the batter.
- Slide the muffin tray into the 350°F oven and bake for precisely 18-20 minutes.
- Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. It should emerge clean.
- Remove tray from oven and allow cupcakes to rest in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and let them cool completely for about 30 minutes.
- Optional: Decorate with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with chopped nuts or a dash of cinnamon.
Notes
- Grate carrots finely to ensure even distribution and prevent large chunks in your cupcakes.
- Use room temperature eggs for better incorporation into the batter and a smoother texture.
- For a gluten-free version, swap all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.
- Drain crushed pineapple well to prevent excess moisture from making the cupcakes soggy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-20 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 202 kcal
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg