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A carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting on a plate with a bite taken out of it.

Small Batch Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Sara
An easy small batch carrot cake cupcake recipe that makes four cupcakes and comes together in about 25 minutes.
4.68 from 37 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 4 cupcakes
Calories 510 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Cupcakes:

  • 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt or 1/4 tsp. sea salt*
  • 3/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. Ginger Powder
  • 1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 3 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar
  • 2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
  • 3 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
  • 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup Grated Carrot grated on the large holes of a box grater
  • Baking Spray

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 3 oz. Cream Cheese
  • 3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
  • 1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • pinch Salt
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp. Milk optional, for a creamier frosting

Instructions
 

To Make the Cupcakes:

  • Combine the Dry Ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, combine 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour, 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt, 3/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. Ginger Powder, and 1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg. Whisk together until well blended, then create a small well in the middle of the bowl.
  • Add Wet Ingredients and Sugars. In the well, add 1 Large Egg, 3 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar, 2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar, and 3 tbsp. Vegetable Oil. Use a fork or whisk to stir the ingredients together until well combined and smooth. Stir in 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract until fully combined.
  • Add Carrots. Add 1/2 cup Grated Carrot to the bowl. Use a spatula to gently fold the carrots into the wet batter until just combined. (Over-mixing could make the cupcakes dense.)
  • Divide Batter into a Muffin Pan. Spray Baking Spray into four wells of a muffin / cupcake pan, or line four wells with cupcake liners. (You can spray the liners if you’re feeling extra cautious, too). Divide the batter equally amongst the wells, filling them 3/4 full with batter.
  • Step Five: Bake. Bake the cupcakes at 350 F for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center of the cupcakes, and comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about five minutes, then transfer them to a wire baking rack to finish cooling.

To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • In a mixing bowl, combine room temperature 3 oz. Cream Cheese and 3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter. Use a hand mixer to beat until combined, then beat in 1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract and pinch Salt (about 1/8 - 1/4 tsp.) until somewhat creamy.
  • Beat in half (1/2 cup) of the powdered sugar until combined, followed by the remaining 1/2 cup. For a creamier frosting, beat in 1-2 tbsp. Milk. Frost the cupcakes once they are completely cooled.

Notes

*this recipe was updated on 4.17.2020*
*I use Diamond Kosher salt for my recipes, which is less salty than table or sea salt. If you are using either of the latter, decrease the amount to 1/4 tsp.
The cream cheese frosting recipe makes about 3/4 cup of frosting. Don't feel obligated to use it all if you don't want to!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 510kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 4gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 405mgPotassium: 143mgFiber: 1gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 3304IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 1mg
Keyword carrot cake cupcakes, small batch carrot cake cupcakes
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