Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 342kcal
These carrot cake cupcakes are soft, moist, and mildly spiced, topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting! They're easy to make, irresistibly delicious, and perfect for spring.
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For pineapple curd:
- 1 cup (240ml) canned pineapple juice Note 1
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (8g) cornstarch
- 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter cubbed and softened.
For cupcakes:
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour Note 1
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg Note 2
- 3 medium carrots Note 3
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup (60gr) sour cream at room temperature Note 4
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar light or dark
- ½ cup (60g) chopped pecans Note 5
For cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz (250gr) cream cheese at room temperature
- ¼ cup (55g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups (250g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
To make pineapple curd:
Pour pineapple juice into a medium saucepan and cook it over medium-high heat to reduce to ¼ cup, about 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks.
To temper the eggs, slowly pour the reduced pineapple juice into the eggs while whisking constantly.
Now transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and add sugar and cornstarch.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, for about 8-10 minutes, or until thickened.
Remove from heat and run the curd through a fine mesh sieve. Let the curd cool for 10 minutes.
Add butter to the curd and gently fold it until the butter is fully incorporated.
Cover the curd with plastic wrap to contact to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until cooled completely, about 2 hours, or up to 1 week.
To make carrot cake cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the muffin cups with cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
Using a box grater, or a food processor, grate the carrots into fine pieces.
In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, mix together eggs, sour cream, oil, sugar, and brown sugar until well combined.
Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Don’t over-mix at this point.
Add the grated carrots and pecans and gently fold the batter with a silicone spatula.
Fill the muffin cups ¾ of the way. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes in the baking pan, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make cream cheese frosting:
Beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for a minute. Then increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. (I used the M1 star tip.)
To assemble the cupcake:
Frost the cupcakes once they’re completely cooled.
Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before filling them.
Using a back of a piping tip (or a small pairing knife, or a cupcake corer), make a hole in the center of each cupcake. Be careful not to cut all the way through the bottom of the cupcake. (Reserve the cupcake pieces.)
Pipe or spoon the pineapple curd into the hole. Fill it until the curd just reaches the top of the cupcake. Replace the reserved cupcake pieces to close the filling.
Finally, pipe the cream cheese frosting on top.
Note 1: Canned juice works best for this recipe. Be sure to use the juice and not syrup.
Note 2: Nutmeg loses its potency once grated. And that's why I highly recommend grating a whole nutmeg right before baking instead of purchasing ground nutmeg.
Note 3: You'll need about 200g of carrots. I recommend grating the carrots into fine pieces, so you don't bite into a big chunk of carrot. I also don't recommend pre-grated carrots, as they're usually dried up.
Note 4: Use a kitchen scale or measure with the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off with the flat edge of a butter knife.
Note 5: Walnuts work great too!
Storing Tips:
- To store: Store leftover carrot cake cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cream cheese frosting must be refrigerated to prevent it from spoiling.
- To freeze unfrosted cupcakes: Place unfrosted cupcakes in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To freeze frosted cupcakes: Place the frosted cupcakes on a plate or sheet pan and freeze until solid, at least 1 hour. Transfer the frozen cupcakes to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To thaw: Let the cupcakes thaw at room temperature or in the fridge.
Calories: 342kcal
Carbohydrates: 49g
Protein: 5g
Fat: 15g
Sugar: 39g
Sodium: 219mg