Bet you’re wondering why I’m posting a recipe for Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting in October!

Originally Published 10/20/2021

I realize that traditionally carrot cake is associated with springtime and the Easter Bunny.

But I’m breaking the rules!

Ten years ago, my mom and I were in Ft. Collins Colorado at the Budweiser Brewery taking a tour.

At the end, we got to do a little tasting/pairing. To my surprise and delight, they matched their pumpkin beer with a cream cheese-frosted carrot cake!

You might be thinking… ok now you’ve gone too far… first with the carrot cake in the Fall, but now pairing beer with dessert.

Beer belongs with wings and pizza.

I am here to tell you, that you must give this odd couple a try!

There is something so amazing about the fizzy, spiced pumpkin beer that pairs so deliciously with the sweet and also spiced carrot cake + the decadently smooth cream cheese frosting.

It’s become a tradition of mine, ever since that fateful day in Ft. Collins. Every fall I need at least one pumpkin beer with a bite of at least one of these Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

If you’re curious about my culinary choices, try the recipe below, grab a pumpkin beer, and celebrate the season!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

aren’t difficult to make. But some preliminary steps need to be taken before the batter comes together!

First, get a bowl out for the dry ingredients. It’s always best to mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger first. That way, when they get thrown in with the wet ingredients, there won’t be any ingredients that get clumped up creating an uneven effect. 

Second, grate some carrots. It only takes about two full-sized, peeled, carrots to make 2 cups of grated carrots.

Third – chop some nutz. Then toast the nutz. lol But mostly, don’t burn the nutz. I have a habit of walking away while they’re in the pan toasting and then, poof, burnt walnuts.

Lastly, in preparation for these Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting… squish the pineapple. Open a can of crushed pineapple, drain it, measure out a 1/2 cup, place it in a strainer, and then use your hand to squish more liquid out. 

You will need to add more pineapple to the mix as you go, as de-liquifying it decreases the amount you’ve got. You need a full 1/2 cup of vampirized pineapple. K. That’s it for preliminary steps…except for also preheating the oven to 350° and lining a muffin tin!

Now we can put the Carrot Cake Cupcake batter together!

Grab out your mixer and pour in the 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp of oil, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. 

Once those ingredients are mixed, add your eggs and give them a swirl.

Follow that up with the carrots, walnuts, pineapple, and shredded coconut… yum!

Finally, add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Now for the most difficult part of making these Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting…

filling the cupcake liners without making a giant mess! Not gonna lie, I usually get it everywhere.

I found these cute tulip parchment paper cupcake liners on Amazon. I love them because the box contains three different colors (tan, white, and dark brown), and there are a ton of liners in the box. The liners are taller than normal so they hold more batter and the cupcakes don’t bake over onto the pan.

However, this also means I get fewer cupcakes out of the batter because I’m filling them more fully. If you’re using traditional liners, this recipe will make 8-12 cupcakes. In any case, fill each one 3/4 of the way full and pop them in a 350° oven to bake!

While the cupcakes are baking, it’s time to make the cream cheese frosting!

This amount of frosting was perfect for covering my 8 carrot cake cupcakes.

However, if you like a lot of frosting, or you made 12 cupcakes instead of 8, you may need to double the recipe.

Start by whipping together the softened cream cheese and butter with the vanilla. Then add in the powdered sugar.

Mix on low until the powdered sugar is incorporated and then on high to make it fluffy!

Load it into a piping bag fitted with a star tip, or a Ziplock bag. You can just cut the corner off the Ziplock bag to make it pipeable. Or just rock it old school and frost them with a butter knife! Once the cupcakes have finished baking, (they should be fully risen, golden brown, and pass a toothpick test) get them out of the oven and carefully remove them from the tin so they can cool on a cooling rack.

Don’t frost them until they are fully cool otherwise, your beautiful cream cheese frosting will become a glaze and just slide right off!

Ok, let’s talk beer.

Not all pumpkin ale is created equal. 

My top two favorites come from Elysian Brewing – Night Owl & The Great Pumpkin.

They aren’t overly sweetened, or fake tasting. They taste like pumpkins but still taste like beer.

10 out of 10 recommend to a friend. 

So once you’ve got these gorgeously baked and frosted Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, try to find one of these two pumpkin beers to pair with it!

What comes next is pretty self-explanatory… eat a cupcake and drink a beer and just be happy for Fall, carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and pumpkin beer.

Life is good.

Let me know if you give this recipe a try and what you think! Did you enjoy the match-up? 🎃🎃🎃🎃

Print Recipe

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting aren’t just for spring! Try pairing one with a pumpkin beer, you might just find carrot cake becomes a new Fall Favorite!

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: carrot cake, easter dessert, fall dessert, spring dessert

Servings: 8 cupcakes

Equipment

• Kitchenaid Mixer
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Rubber Spatula
• Cupcake Tin
• Grater
• Strainer
• Piping Bag and large star tip

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Cupcake Batter

• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Ginger
• 1/2 Cup + 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Cups Grated Carrots 2 large carrots
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts chopped and toasted
• 1/2 Cup Crushed Pineapple strained and liquid squeezed out
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
• 2 tbsp Salted Butter
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 2 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Carrot Cake Cupcake Batter

• In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup ap flour with 1/2 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and a 1/4 tsp of ginger and set it to the side.
• Grate 2 cups of carrots.
• Chop a 1/2 cup of walnuts and toast them in a small pan over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes. Just until they are fragrant! Transfer to a bowl and set them to the side. Also measure out a 1/2 cup of shredded coconut and set it to the side.
• Measure out a 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple and pour it into a strainer. Use your hand to squish out most of the excess fluid. Keep adding pineapple to the strainer until you have a full 1/2 cup as squishing out the liquid will reduce the amount originally measured. Once you have a 1/2 cup of pineapple that has been squeezed out, put it in a bowl and set it to the side.
• Preheat the oven to 350° and line 8-12 cups with cupcake liners.
• In your Kitchenaid mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add a 1/2 cup +2 tbsp of vegetable oil, 1/2 cup of sugar, and a 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Mix until combined and then add in the 2 eggs. Once the eggs have been whisked in, add the shredded carrots, toasted walnuts, pineapple, and coconut. Mix until combined.
• Finally, add in the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. You may have to scrape down the sides of the mixer to get everything fully incorporated.
• Fill each cupcake tin 3/4 of the way full. Depending on the size of your cupcake tins, or how tall your cupcake liners are you will get 8-12 cupcakes out of the batter.
• Place them in the oven and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until they have risen, are golden brown, and pass a toothpick test!
• Remove them from the oven, carefully remove the cupcakes from the tin and place them on a cooling rack to cool. Do not frost them until they are fully cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• While the cupcakes are cooling make the cream cheese frosting. In your Kitchenaid Mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add 4oz of room temperature cream cheese and 2 tbsp of room temperature butter, + 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Whip until combined.
• Next, add in 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar. Start with the mixer on low so it doesn’t poof out everywhere and mix the sugar in until it’s combined. Then turn the mixer on high and whip until the frosting is light and fluffy!
• Once the carrot cake cupcakes are fully cool, scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and frost each cupcake! Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon if you’d like and serve!

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