Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

With pecans, spices, and a smooth cream cheese frosting, these fall-ready carrot cake cupcakes are more a bit more savory than sweet, but they're still sweet enough for dessert!

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 428 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 cups freshly grated carrots
• 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 0.5 cup vegetable oil
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cup white sugar
• 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 0.5 teaspoon ground allspice
• 0.125 teaspoon ground cloves
• 0.75 cup sour cream
• 1.5 cups dark brown sugar
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 18 standard muffin cups with paper liners.

Step 2

Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, salt, nutmeg, and cloves together in a large mixing bowl.

Step 3

Mix brown sugar, sour cream, white sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla together until smooth. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Stir in carrots, then fold in pecans. Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Step 5

While the cupcakes are cooling, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, a bit a time, until smooth and desired sweetness is achieved. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.