Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe

These carrot cake cupcakes are a healthier form of classic carrot cake. Traditionally, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger are added to a cake batter along with grated carrot and the resulting cake is topped with a thick cream cheese icing. As a child, it was this thick cream cheese frosting that turned me off of carrot cake — I don’t think I’ve had any for more than a decade.

However, when I saw this recipe in Women’s Health magazine (March 2010), I was intrigued because the icing was light and seemed to drip right off of the cupcakes. Plus this recipe is made with whole wheat pastry flour, something I am just learning about.

In the end I actually weaseled out of making the cream cheese frosting for these carrot cake cupcakes anyways. The cream cheese I was intending to use had gone bad so I substituted sour cream instead. A delicious alternative and interesting in itself. I have left the recipe as it is with cream cheese. Let me know if you make the icing with cream cheese, as I intend to next time.

Print Recipe

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

(18 cupcakes)
Adapted from Katie Lee Recipe

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (can substitute 2 tablespoons flour for ground flax)

1 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1/2 cup plain yogourt

1 lb carrots, grated

1/2 cup golden raisins

6 tablespoons (4 oz) light cream cheese at room temperature (or sour cream!)

1 cup icing sugar

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl combine flours, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon.

In a second bowl beat together brown sugar and canola oil for 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in a yogourt, carrots and raisins. Mix in the flour mixture until just combined.

Spoon batter into paper lined muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese and sugar. Spread over each cupcake and top with walnuts.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 20 minutes | Total Time:35 minutes