Baking Dessert

Carrot cupcakes

Name: Carrot cupcakes recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 14
Ingredients: 80g brown sugar; 180ml oil; 200g honey; 3 eggs; 2 tsp vanilla bean paste; 150g self-raising flour; 75g plain flour; 1 tsp bicarb soda; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 300g carrots (about 4 medium carrots), peeled and coarsely grated; 50g walnut; 200g unsalted butter, softened; 200g cream cheese, softened; 360g icing sugar; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

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by Lucy Nunes

Delicious Team

Apr 10, 2025

It's like carrot cake... in cupcake form! These perfectly moist bite-sized cupcakes with a hint of cinnamon, vanilla and honey are topped with a cream cheese frosting and toasted walnuts. Serve them at your Easter lunch, picnic and long-weekend feasting. You’ll need 2 x 12-hole, ⅓-cup-capacity muffin pans and a piping bag or zip-lock bag.

⅓ cup (80g) brown sugar
¾ cup (180ml) grapeseed oil
½ cup (200g) honey, plus extra, to drizzle
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
½ cup (75g) plain flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
300g carrots (about 4 medium carrots), peeled and coarsely grated
½ cup (60g) chopped toasted walnuts, plus extra, to sprinkle

Icing

200g unsalted butter, softened
200g cream cheese, softened
3 cups (360g) pure icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Line 2 x 12-hole, ⅓-cup-capacity muffin pans with 14 paper cases.
2.

Place the brown sugar, oil, honey, eggs and vanilla in a large jug or bowl and whisk to combine.
3.

Sift the flours, bicarb and cinnamon into a large bowl.
4.

Pour the oil mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Stir in the grated carrot and walnuts.
5.

Divide the mixture between the cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6.

For the icing, place butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl occasionally, until pale. Add cream cheese and beat on medium-high speed until well combined. Add half the icing sugar and the vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth and combined, then add remaining icing sugar and beat until well combined.
7.

Spoon icing into a piping bag or zip-lock. Cut a 2cm hole and and pipe icing onto cakes. Sprinkle icing with extra walnuts and drizzle with extra honey, if you like.

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Recipe Notes

This amount of icing allows for generous piping. You can also enjoy these cupcakes without icing, or with less icing (in that case, only make half a batch of icing). Cupcakes will keep, covered, in a cool place for 3 days (store in the fridge if the weather is warm).

These cupcakes are great for batch cooking. Once cool, wrap un-iced cupcakes individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. Pop in your lunchbox in the morning for an easy treat (cupcakes will take about 2 hours to thaw from frozen).