carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting recipe

Home » Recipes » Sweets » Cakes & Cupcakes » Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Cakes & Cupcakes • Currently Craving • Seasonal

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 32 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ginger; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup vegetable oil (I use canola); 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar; 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream), room temperature; 1 1/2 cups (180 g) freshly grated carrots, at room temperature (from about 4 medium carrots); 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, browned, strained, and chilled until firm for 45-60 minutes; 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature; 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted; 1 teaspoon vanilla; pinch of salt

March 30, 2024

Classic carrot cake is one of my very favorite desserts. Spring, summer, Fall or the dead of winter….I love carrot […]

Jump to Recipe

carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting topped with white chocolate bunnies

Classic carrot cake is one of my very favorite desserts. Spring, summer, Fall or the dead of winter….I love carrot cake any time of year! But the truth is I’m a bit like Goldilocks when it comes to my carrot cake. It can’t be heavy on the spices, absolutely no pineapple allowed, and don’t even think about putting raisins in my cake. Not the biggest fan of walnuts in carrot cake either. I know, I know…. I’m super picky when it comes to carrot cake. But lucky for you, I’ve created the most perfect carrot cake cupcakes that exceed my very high carrot cake standards.

No doubt about it, these carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting are THE BEST! Oh, and did I mention they are also adorable?

close up of single carrot cake cupcake with brown butter cream cheese frosting

I mean….soooo cute, right??

carrot cake cupcakes rolled in coconut and topped with Easter candy decorations

Ingredients

Carrot cake cravings wait for no one so you’ll be happy to know you can whip up these super moist carrot cake cupcakes in no time with just a handful of basic ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

Flour – for best results, always weigh your flour with a kitchen scale.
Butter – brown butter really makes the cream cheese frosting shine!
Vegetable Oil – I use canola oil but any neutral oil will work.
Sugar – granulated and light brown sugar give our cupcakes structure and sweetness.
Eggs – make sure your eggs are at room temperature for best results.
Greek yogurt – full fat sour cream is a good substitute if you don’t have Greek yogurt on hand.
Shredded carrots – for perfectly soft, moist cupcakes, grate the carrots by hand.
Cream cheese – you’ll need one whole block of full-fat cream cheese. Set it out at least an hour before making the brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves give these cupcakes the most delicious flavor!

How to make homemade carrot cake cupcakes

These cupcakes are so easy to bake and they’re perfect for all of your springtime celebrations. The recipe is pretty straightforward but let’s run through it step-by-step before you get started. Check the recipe card below for ingredients and detailed instructions. Pro-tip: before you begin making the cupcakes, brown the butter on the stovetop for the cream cheese frosting. That way it will be chilled and ready to use once the cupcakes have cooled.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.

Step 2: Wash and peel the carrots and then grate them using the small side of a box (cheese) grater. You’ll want 1 1/2 cups of carrots (not packed) which is equivalent to about 4 medium carrots.

Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients together including the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.

Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugars and oil until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to incorporate.

Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the wet, alternating with the Greek yogurt. Gently stir with a large spatula or wooden spoon to mix. Before all of the flour is mixed in, add the grated carrots and fold them into the batter. Do not over mix the batter.

batter for carrot cake cupcakes in a bowl with a whisk

Step 6: Use a measuring cup or large cookie scoop to fill the prepared muffin pan. Be careful to only fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 16 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with a few crumbs remaining. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool completely before frosting.

carrot cake cupcakes ready to bake in muffin tin

Step 7: Once the brown butter is chilled, make the cream cheese frosting and transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Alternatively, you can use an offset spatula or spoon to spread the frosting on top of the cupcakes. Roll the sides in coconut flakes if desired. If the frosting is soft, place the cupcakes in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up.

making brown butter cream cheese frosting in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment

Tips for the best cupcakes

Use room temperature ingredients. Alway use room temperature butter, eggs and yogurt to ensure your cake batter isn’t lumpy and the ingredients incorporate well. This allows for even baking and the perfect texture. For best results, take your ingredients out of the fridge at least an hour before mixing up the batter.
It’s all about that crumb. This carrot cake bakes up light and fluffy, but dense enough to hold a heaping dollop of that luscious cream cheese frosting. It’s all thanks to the oil and yogurt we use in the batter which helps keep this carrot cake extra moist. The cake stays fresh longer and these cupcakes taste even better the next day after the flavors have a chance to settle in.
Don’t over mix. Or over fill. Or over bake! Cake batter needs a light hand so do not be tempted to over mix the batter. This simple batter comes together with just two bowls and a wooden spoon. No fancy mixer required. When folding in the dry ingredients and carrots, only mix until a few streaks of flour remain. Fill your cupcake liners 2/3 of the way so they don’t spill over the sides when baking. And no one likes a dry cupcake so be sure to keep an eye on your oven and take the cupcakes out when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs remaining.
Cool completely before frosting. There’s no way around this one folks. You must cool your cupcakes completely before topping with a hefty swirl of that delicious brown butter cream cheese frosting. If you’re in a rush, cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes on a wire rack and then pop them in the fridge for 10 more minutes.

How to make the best brown butter cream cheese frosting

This recipe for a classic cream cheese frosting is leveled up big time by the addition of the brown butter. It adds a complexity and richness to the frosting that you just can’t get with regular butter. It’s lick-from-the-spoon worthy and something tells me you’ll never make cream cheese frosting any other way again. For the very best, silky smooth cream cheese frosting follow the simple steps below.

Use cold, softened brown butter. Hot melted butter won’t work in this recipe so be sure you’ve chilled your brown butter long enough for it to reach a semi-solid state. An hour in the fridge should do it. I like to brown the butter and place it in the fridge to chill while I make the cupcakes so it’s ready to use when it’s time to mix the frosting.
Use room temperature cream cheese. Rock hard cream cheese doesn’t mix well so be sure to leave your cream cheese out on the counter for at least an hour before mixing your frosting. If you are in a hurry, cut the cream cheese up into smaller pieces and microwave for just 10 seconds at a time at 50% heat. We want the cream cheese softened, not melted.
Sift your sugar. For the very best silky smooth cream cheese frosting, I highly recommend sifting the powdered sugar. No one likes a lumpy, bumpy frosting and the extra step is totally worth it. The frosting will whip up like a dream and it will be easy to swirl into pretty mounds on top of the cupcakes.
Whip it good. For the fluffiest, creamiest frosting, beat the cream cheese and brown butter together for a good 2 minutes until fully incorporated. And once you’ve added the sugar and vanilla, beat the frosting on high speed until light and fluffy. If you make your frosting in advance and it begins to stiffen up as it sits, simply whip it again in the mixer to bring back that silky smooth texture before decorating your cupcakes.

Easter cupcakes topped with pastel candies

Variations

I for one love a simple carrot cake without a lot of extras. Feel free to let your sweet tooth do the talking and try mixing one (or more!) of these add-ins into the batter.

Raisins (better yet, rum-soaked raisins!)
Chopped walnuts or pecans. Toast them for extra flavor.
Pineapple – be sure to drain the diced pineapple well before adding to the batter.
Shredded coconut – now that’s a combo I can get behind!

If you’ve read this far, you deserve a cupcake! But seriously, I’m not going to keep you around here one second longer because you’ve got cupcakes to make. These best ever carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting (!!!) are at the tippy top of my baking list for Easter Sunday and I hope you’ll bake a batch to share with your love bunnies too.

Happy baking!

If you like these Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, you’ll also like: