These carrot cake cupcakes are the perfect springtime treat!! They’re moist, tender, and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting and crunchy walnut brittle.

It’s the ultimate combination of textures and flavors, and are the perfect Easter dessert!

This is a modified version of an amazing recipe pulled together by King Arthur Baking and Domino Sugar this Spring! I loved it so much I knew I had to share it.

How to Make these Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Let’s walk through each step of these carrot cake cupcakes to make sure they turn out as amazing as possible! I’ve also included a video tutorial below.

Step 1: Make the Carrot Cake Cupcakes

These carrot cake cupcakes need to cool completely to room temperature before you can frost them, so I like to make them first.

Divide the batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners and bake for about 21-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove them from the pan and place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Step 2: Make the Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

While the cupcakes cool, work on the spiced cream cheese frosting.

If the frosting seems too thick after mixing together all the ingredients, add in additional cream (1 tablespoon at a time). Or if the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

If you’re unsure how thick your frosting should be, you can learn what consistency you’re looking for in my frosting consistency post.

If you don’t like cream cheese frosting, I recommend making a half batch of my Swiss meringue buttercream or my American buttercream.

Place the frosting in a large piping bag and set aside. This frosting can sit out at room temperature for up to 3 hours. If you make it further than that in advance, I recommend storing it in the fridge.

Step 3: Make the Walnut Brittle Topping

The last component of these cupcakes is the walnut brittle! This is optional but really adds to the texture of these cupcakes.

Once the mixture has been cooked and has fully cooled, use a sharp knife to cut the brittle into small pieces.

Step 4: Decorating These Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cooled cupcake and generously top with the chopped-up walnut brittle.

I also like to make little white chocolate bunnies to really give these cupcakes a spring vibe!

I melt a bit of white chocolate in a small piping bag, snip the end of the bag and use a hand drawn template to make 12 little bunnies.

Once the chocolate has fully hardened, carefully press a white chocolate bunny into the center of each cupcake and enjoy!

Substitutions and Swaps in This Recipe

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand!

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:

• Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe. Canola or sunflower oil would work great!
• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend if needed.
• Light Brown Sugar – I prefer using light brown sugar in this recipe but you can use dark brown sugar too.
• Walnuts – These add a ton of texture to this recipe but can be omitted if you have a nut allergy.
• Cream Cheese – If you don’t like cream cheese, use unsalted butter in place of the cream cheese to make the frosting for these cupcakes.
• Unsalted Butter – You can use salted butter in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe if needed. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work in this frosting if that’s what you have on hand.
• Shredded Carrots – I like to use a microplane grater to grate my carrots super fine. However, a food processor with a shredding attachment works great too (and is the easiest and fastest option). Shredded zucchini can also be used in place of the carrots in this recipe.

Recipe Variations

If you want to make mini carrot cake cupcakes, this recipe can be baked in mini muffin tins! It makes about 40 mini cupcakes, and they only need to bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 F / 175 C.

This recipe can also be baked in a loaf pan for 50-65 minutes. If you notice the top of the loaf starting to over-brown, cover the pan with a foil tent.

I recommend making a half batch of frosting if you make a carrot cake loaf. Let the loaf cool fully, then top with a generous layer of cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of walnut brittle.

Tips for Making the Best Easter Carrot Cake Cupcakes

• Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Set the cold ingredients ahead of time.
• If you’re short on time, use a food processor with a disc attachment to shred your carrots in seconds.
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure and then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Once you add the flour, mix your cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
• Use a cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners. It also makes sure your cupcakes end up being the same height.
• Bang your cupcake pan on the counter before putting it in the oven. This brings any air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.
• Seal off the top of your piping bags with a rubber band to prevent any frosting from seeping out the top of the bag and make the piping bags easier to use.

Making These Cupcakes in Advance & Storage Tips

Make your cupcakes in advance! If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for 2 days at room temp, up to a week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Make this spiced cream cheese frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for a month. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

Frosted cupcakes can sit at room temperature for 3 hours or in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. However, I find frosting them right before serving is best.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make these carrot cake cupcakes, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating below.

Also tag me @chelsweets and use the #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media!

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