These soft Pumpkin Carrot Cake Cupcakes are made from scratch with pumpkin and carrots and lots of cinnamon and nutmeg! Topped with a rich delicious brown sugar cream cheese frosting, this recipe is perfect for any season or holiday!
I had gotten a few requests for a carrot cake recipe before coming up with my Pumpkin Carrot Cake recipe last summer. There are so many good recipes for carrot cake out there so I held off until I had an idea for something special. Carrot cake made with pumpkin puree, shredded apple and brown sugar cream cheese frosting is definitely special and so worth making!
I used the same recipe to make these cute, fluffy carrot cake cupcakes! They’re fun to make, fun to eat, and are easy to transport and share!
THESE PUMPKIN CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES ARE:
- EXTRA SPECIAL: Pumpkin puree and a whole shredded apple in place of pineapple make these cupcakes delicious and different than most carrot cake recipes!
- PERFECTLY SPICED: Perfectly spiced with pumpkin pie spice yet not overly spiced.
- SUPER SIMPLE: No mixer needed and the batter comes together in minutes!
- PERFECT FOR ANY SEASON OR OCCASION: They’re especially perfect for fall and spring but who doesn’t love carrot cake anytime of the year!?
WHAT DOES THESE CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES TASTE LIKE?
These carrot cake cupcakes feature the warm fall spices that carrot cake is known for. It’s perfectly spiced without being overspiced. This carrot cake has over a cup of pure pumpkin puree which adds tons of moisture and a subtle pumpkin flavor.
I can’t talk about pumpkin without mentioning these yummy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and this classic Pumpkin Bread with Maple Walnut Streusel.
MOIST
These cupcakes definitely have carrot cake’s signature tender, moist texture. For added moisture and natural sweetness, there is a whole grated apple in the batter. The apple takes the place of pineapples which are usually added to carrot cake. Pineapples are more tropical to me, so I opted for an apple. You can’t taste the apple, but it adds a ton of moisture. For another delicious apple treat, you’ll love this Apple Cinnamon Bread!
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES
- Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
- Whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the sugars and eggs. Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin puree followed by the oil. Add the buttermilk alternatively with the dry ingredients, mixing just til combined. Stir in the shredded carrots and apple.
- Fill each cupcake liner with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a cupcake. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Another thing that makes this cake special: brown sugar cream cheese icing! Why brown sugar? The molasses in the brown sugar gives it a slight caramel taste. It’s not an over the top caramel flavor but when combined with the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and a good amount of vanilla, it’s absolutely enough to make you want to lick your fork and plate clean.
HOW TO MAKE BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- USE ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS: It’s essential to use room temperature cream cheese and butter. I recommend taking these ingredients out for at least an hour before making the icing.
- SIFT THE POWDERED SUGAR: Even though it’s going to go into a mixer, I highly recommend sifting it first. It only takes a minute and makes sure you don’t have any little bumps of powdered sugar in your icing.
- USE FRESH BROWN SUGAR: Brown sugar can get hard lumps if it’s not fresh which will make the sugar harder to dissolve into the icing.
- SCRAPE DOWN THE SIDES OF THE BOWL: I do this with any icing I make, but it’s especially helpful with this recipe to make sure the flavors are combined and that the brown sugar has dissolved.
- ALLOW THE CAKE TO COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE ICING IT: I know it’s tempting to want to dig in ASAP, but wait til your cake has cooled completely before icing it. The icing could melt a bit and become a little runny if the cake is still warm and we don’t want that.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Buttermilk adds flavor and moisture and helps make the cake super tender. If you don’t have any, you can get away with a buttermilk substitute.
You don’t have to add nuts or raisins to carrot cake. I omitted them since I prefer my carrot cake without them.
Sweet fruits like raisins and pineapple go well with carrot cake. Since I prefer my carrot cake without add ins, this recipe has grated apple in it. The apple adds a little fresh, natural sweetness into the cake.
These Pumpkin Carrot Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting are made with my dream carrot cake recipe. Featuring pumpkin, spices, carrots, an apple, they’re full of warm fall flavor and topped with an extra special cream cheese icing. These tender, moist cupcakes are cute, cheerful, and delicious!
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Pumpkin Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 30 MINUTES
- Cook Time: 25 MINUTES
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: About 12 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Make these easy Pumpkin Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing for a flavorful treat! Made with pumpkin, carrots and warm spices, these soft cupcakes are topped with delicious brown sugar cream cheese icing. They are perfect for any occasion!
Ingredients
FOR THE PUMPKIN CARROT CUPCAKES
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 cup oil, vegetable or canola
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 1/2 eggs (for the half egg, whisk it in a small bowl and add half of it along with the other egg to the batter)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 red apple, peeled and grated
FOR THE BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE ICING
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (leave it at room temperature for at least an hour before making)
- 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup plus t3ablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted, plus more if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
FOR THE PUMPKIN CARROT CUPCAKES
- Line cupcake pan with liners. Preheat oven to 350 F.
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In large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the sugars and eggs. Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin puree followed by the oil. Add the buttermilk alternatively with the dry ingredients, mixing just til combined. Stir in carrots and apple.
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Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly in the pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool ten minutes in the pan then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled, frost it with the icing.
FOR THE BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE ICING
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and butter on medium speed for one minute until creamed and combined. Add the brown sugar and mix on medium for another minute. Mix in the vanilla then turn the mixer on low and gradually mix in the powdered sugar.
Keywords: pumpkin, carrot cake, pumpkin carrot cake, apple, cream cheese, brown sugar cream cheese icing, icing, fall
I’ve baked this cake before, and today I made them into cupcakes. They are so moist and delicious. Another fabulous recipe by Natalie.
Xo Sam
★★★★★
Hi Sam! So happy you enjoyed these cupcakes! Thank you for taking the time to comment and for being one of my favorite bakers! xo Natalie