Carrot Cupcakes with Candy Eggs

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These carrot cupcakes use my oil-based recipe with carrots, nuts, and raisins. Topped with candy eggs these make perfect Easter cupcakes. A surprisingly simple recipe with easy-to-find ingredients.

Frosted Eater cupcakes — Carrots Cupcakes for Easter with Candy Eggs

If you love carrot cake, then this recipe is going to go on your list of favorites very soon. I often make these cupcakes and my kids never guess that there are grated carrots in them. Somehow the idea that there are carrots in their cupcakes is just something they can't believe yet.

Table of Content

Why make these cupcakes?
Ingredients and substitutes
Step by step instructions
Tips - carrot cupcakes
Frequently asked questions
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Printable Recipe

Why make these cupcakes?

This is an oil-based recipe, which means you do not need to do much creaming and stirring.
You don't need a stand mixer. You can just use a bowl and whisk (for the purpose of the video I have used a hand mixer).
Also, the oil keeps the cupcakes moist and enhances the flavor of the carrots with the nutmeg.
And the process for these festive cupcakes is very easy.
- Cupcake batter - 10 mins
- Bake the cupcakes 25 mins
- Cool them completely - 2 hours
- Prepare the frosting - 10 minutes
- Pipe the frosting - 10 minutes

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 do not add spice at this time for Easter. And yet, pumpkin spice, nutmeg or even cinnamon are a great addition.
All-purpose flour - I know most online recipes prefer cake flour. And yet, I have bee using all-purpose flour in this very successfully. And the results are moist carrot cupcakes.
Brown sugar - Oh, you must use brown sugar. It takes these cupcakes to the next level.

Step by step instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 320 °F / 165 °C/ Gas Mark 3.
Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a bowl, combine flour with baking powder, spices, and salt - and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, whip the whole eggs on medium for two minutes.
Pro tip - It is important that the eggs are warm or at least room temperature so we can get maximum volume.
Gradually, start adding sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whipping constantly on medium speed. Once all the sugar is in, turn the mixer to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy – ribbon stage.
Pro tip - Adding the sugar helps improve the emulsification properties giving us the maximum volume.
Slowly add the cooking oil and sour cream. Followed by the vanilla extract.
Pro tip - Add the oil slowly but don't overmix as we do not want the eggs to curdle.
Next, add in the flour mixture making sure you have no lumps. Continue to use the whisk but do not over whip at this time.
Pro tip - Don't overmix at this stage. We don't want to activate the gluten in our flour.

Next, add the carrots, raisins, and nuts making sure not to overmix the batter.
Divide the batter between 12 cupcake liners in a muffin pan.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Keep 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.

Buttercream

Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool until barely warm (this is for the chocolate swirl nests).
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. If necessary, you can add a tablespoon or more of whipped cream for consistency.
Pro tip - If you want to pipe firm swirls I recommend not adding too much liquid. For the grass, you will need a stiff buttercream so avoid adding too much milk or cream.
Divide the buttercream into two bowls. Add green food color gel for the grass and add cooled melted chocolate to the other.
Pro tip - It is important that the green frosting for the grass is a stiff consistency. Otherwise, it will not hold. And if necessary, add a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar.

Frost the cupcakes

Transfer the green frosting to a piping bag with a grass piping tip and pipe grass.
Pro tip - You can keep these cupcakes in the fridge for a few minutes if the icing is soft so the grass holds up better.
And transfer the chocolate buttercream to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a generous swirl.
Top each cupcake with three mini eggs.
Pro tip - It is best to put the eggs on the cupcakes once the forsting is chilled slightly so they don't sink in.

Frosted cupcakes with candy eggs. — Carrots Cupcakes for Easter with Candy Eggs

Tips - carrot cupcakes

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 size not large carrots, not too small.
Never use pre-grated carrots that you find 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.

Frequently asked questions

How long will these carrot 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 other frostings can I use for these cupcakes?

If you want to pipe the grass, 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.

What eggs can I use for these Easter cupcakes?

You can use any Easter eggs you can find. In fact, if you can also use jelly beans as Easter Eggs. I sometimes use marzipan or rolled fondant shaped into eggs for my Easter cupcakes.

Do I have to use carrot cupcakes for these Easter cupcakes?

Of course, not!! I used my carrot cake recipe since Easter bunnies like carrots!! And yet, you can use any cupcakes recipe you like. For example, try my one-bowl vanilla or chocolate cupcakes. And strawberries are in season now, so you can also go with my delicious strawberry cupcakes.