Easter Carrot Cupcakes
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Celebrate this season with these Easter carrot cupcakes. Loaded with fresh carrots inside the cupcakes these are frosted with orange buttercream carrots on top to make the perfect Easter bunny carrot cupcakes.
The right carrot cake recipe is moist, with a hint of spice. And while these are perfect any time of the year, during Easter they definitely get extra attention because of the Eater bunny.
Why make these cupcakes?
- The recipe is simple and easy and takes no more than 10 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to bake.
- And most of the ingredients in this recipe are easy to find or simple pantry staples.
- While cream cheese is the classic frosting to use on carrot cupcakes, I am using stiff buttercream frosting because I want to ensure the Easter carrots hold their shape.
- Also, the buttercream carrots on top look intimidating but in reality, they are surprisingly simple.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Oil – Yes, I use oil instead of butter, and trust me, it keeps the cupcakes so moist!!
- Carrot – I like to grate my carrots on the thick side of the grater so they are not lost. And yet, if you prefer you can use the small side of the grate and grate them thinner.
- Spice – I love a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg in my carrot cupcakes. And yet, pumpkin spice, ground ginger or gingerbread spice would lovely too.
- Flour – I know most online recipes prefer cake flour. And yet, I have been using all-purpose flour in this very successfully. And the results are moist carrot cupcakes.
- Brown sugar – You can certainly use either white or brown. But, I use both white and brown sugar for these cupcakes.
Easter Bunny’s carrot cupcakes
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 320 °F / 165 °C/ Gas Mark 3.
- Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Dry ingredients – In a bowl, combine flour with baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.
- Wet ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, whip the whole eggs on medium speed for a minute. Then, gradually add both the white and brown sugar. Continue to whip until light and fluffy. Then, gradually add the oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
Pro tip – Adding the sugar helps improve the emulsification properties giving us the maximum volume.
- Combine – Next, add in the flour mixture followed by the grated carrots, fruits, and nuts. Combine well but do not overmix.
Pro tip – We don’t want to activate the gluten in our flour. - Bake – Divide the batter between 12 cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool – Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 to 7 minutes then cool on a cooling rack.
Pro tip – Always cool cakes and cupcakes completely before decorating or the frosting will melt.
Frost the cupcakes
- Buttercream – In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, salt, and vanilla extract for a minute until creamy. Next, add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until light and fluffy.
Pro tip – For the carrot to hold upright, you will need a stiff buttercream so avoid adding too much milk or cream.
- Dye frosting – Divide the frosting into three portions.
- A small portion for the green grass, darker green for the carrot stalks, and the remaining for the orange carrots.
- Transfer the orange frosting to the piping bag with a round piping tip, the green frosting to a piping bag with a star tip, and the rest can be frosted with a spatula or with a grass piping tip.
- Frost – Spread some green frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes. Then, hold the piping bag with orange frosting upright and pipe the carrots followed by the green stalks.
Pro tip – For the carrots use the motion of squeeze release until you have the desired lengths. - Chill – Keep the cupcakes chilled in the fridge so the carrot stays upright.
Tips for success
- Look for tender juicy carrots. Don’t use carrots that have been lying around in the fridge for days (the fridge tends to dry things out). Also, use medium-sized not large carrots, not too small.
- And never use pre-grated carrots that come in the supermarket. These tend to dry out like little sticks in the finished cake, cupcakes, or muffins. Instead, grate the carrots fresh and your cupcakes will be sweet moist, and delicious. Also, use the fine not the larger size of the grater. This will give you a moist and tender carrot flavor.
- You can replace ½ cup grated carrots with chopped pineapple for carrot pineapple muffins.
- Also, you can add ½ cup white chocolate chips instead of nuts or in addition to nuts.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before you frost them so the frosting does not melt.
- You can also use other frostings such as cream cheese frosting or no-butter cream cheese frosting for these cupcakes. However, you will not be able to pipe grass or nest as cream cheese makes a softer frosting. See here for more frosting recipes.
How long will these cupcakes keep?
These will keep at room temperature for about 2 days. And if wrapped properly, they will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for a month. Then, thaw in the fridge for best results.
What is the best frosting for these frosting carrots?
If you want the carrots to hold their shape, then I highly recommend the stiff buttercream frosting. However, carrot and cream cheese are classic combinations so you can try my Classic Cream Cheese Frosting, or No-Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. For more options, you can check out my list of over 30 plus buttercream frosting recipes.
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Frosted Easter Carrot Cupcakes
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save Grow Coooking Temperature: 320 °F / 165 °C/ Gas Mas 3
Calories: 509kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 12 cupcakes
Description
Celebrate this season with these Easter carrot cupcakes. Loaded with fresh carrots inside the cupcakes these are frosted with orange buttercream carrots on top to make the perfect Easter bunny carrot cupcakes.
Video
Ingredients
Carrot cupcakes
- 1¼ cup (155 g) All-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ¼ tsp Ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp Nutmeg (freshly grated)
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 large Eggs
- ¼ cup (50 g) White sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) Brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) Vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp Sour cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 cup (128 g) Carrots (finely grated)
- ⅓ cup (39 g) Walnuts (finely chopped)
- ⅓ cup (50 g) Raisins
Buttercream frosting
- 8 oz (226 g) Butter (unsalted)
- 4 cup (480 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Whipping cream
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 drops Green gel food color (for grass)
Plus
- 2 – 4 drops Orange gel food color
- 2 – 4 drops Green green gel food color
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 320 °F / 165 °C/ Gas Mark 3.
- Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Dry ingredients – In a bowl, combine flour with baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.1¼ cup All-purpose flour, ¾ tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Baking soda, ¼ tsp Ground cinnamon, ½ tsp Nutmeg, ¼ tsp Salt
- Wet ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, whip the whole eggs on medium speed for a minute. Then, gradually add both the white and brown sugar. Continue to whip until light and fluffy. Then, gradually add the oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Pro tip – Adding the sugar helps improve the emulsification properties giving us the maximum volume.2 large Eggs, ¼ cup White sugar, ½ cup Brown sugar, ⅓ cup Vegetable oil, 2 tbsp Sour cream, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Combine – Next, add in the flour mixture followed by the grated carrots, fruits, and nuts. Combine well but do not overmix.Pro tip – We don't want to activate the gluten in our flour.1 cup Carrots, ⅓ cup Walnuts, ⅓ cup Raisins
- Bake – Divide the batter between 12 cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool – Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 to 7 minutes then cool on a cooling rack. Pro tip – Always cool cakes and cupcakes completely before decorating or the frosting will melt.
Frost the cupcakes
- Buttercream – In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, salt, and vanilla extract for a minute until creamy. Next, add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until light and fluffy. Pro tip – For the carrot to hold upright, you will need a stiff buttercream so avoid adding too much milk or cream.8 oz Butter, 4 cup Powdered sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla extract, 2 tbsp Whipping cream, ¼ tsp Salt, 2 drops Green gel food color
- Dye frosting – Divide the frosting into three portions. A small portion for the green grass, darker green for the carrot stalks, and the remaining for the orange carrots. Transfer the orange frosting to the piping bag with a round piping tip, the green frosting to a piping bag with a star tip, and the rest can be frosted with a spatula or with a grass piping tip.2 – 4 drops Orange gel food color, 2 – 4 drops Green green gel food color
- Frost – Spread some green frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes. Then, hold the piping bag with orange frosting upright and pipe the carrots followed by the green stalks. Pro tip – For the carrots use the motion of squeeze release until you have the desired lengths.
- Chill – keep the cupcakes chilled in the fridge so the carrot stays upright.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Look for tender juicy carrots. Don’t use carrots that have been lying around in the fridge for days (the fridge tends to dry things out) Use medium size not large carrots, not too small.
- Never use pre-grated carrots that come in the supermarket. These tend to dry out like little sticks in the finished cake, cupcakes, or muffins. Instead, grate the carrots fresh and your cupcakes will be sweet moist, and delicious. Use the fine not the larger size of the grater. This will give you a moist and tender carrot flavor.
- You can replace ½ cup grated carrots with chopped pineapple for carrot pineapple muffins
- Add ½ cup white chocolate chips instead of nuts or in addition to nuts.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before you frost them so the frosting does not melt
- You can also use other frostings such as cream cheese frosting or no-butter cream cheese frosting for these cupcakes. However, you will not be able to pipe grass or nest as cream cheese makes a softer frosting. See here for more frosting recipes
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Nutrition Information
Calories: 509– kcalCarbohydrates: 68– gProtein: 3– gFat: 26– gSaturated Fat: 16– gCholesterol: 73– mgSodium: 256– mgPotassium: 143– mgFiber: 1– gSugar: 54– gVitamin A: 2346– IUVitamin C: 1– mgCalcium: 40– mgIron: 1– mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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These Easter Carrot Cupcakes are a fun and festive way to celebrate the holiday! The cupcakes look so moist and fluffy, with delicious cream cheese frosting and adorable carrot decorations on top. Adding this to Easter brunch or dessert table!
What a flavorful cupcake recipe this is! We love carrot cake and you beautifully transferred all the flavors in this cupcake. I have always made cream cheese frosting but tempted to try your buttercream next time.