Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

February 17, 2017March 2, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next77 Comments

Moist carrot cupcakes topped with a luscious and tangy cream cheese frosting.

I first shared these cupcakes a few years ago on my blog back in 2014, it will be nearly three years since the recipe was first published and I still enjoy these just as much as I did the first time round. The older recipe deserved an update and I’ve decided to share it again with brand new photographs. Carrot cake is one of my favourite cakes and if I had to I would definitely pick carrot cake over a slice of chocolate cake any day!

Easter is nearing closer so these cupcakes I am revisiting today will be the ideal recipe to celebrate the occasion with.

The addition of spices in carrot cake is an absolute must and I can’t even contemplate a carrot cake/cupcake without cinnamon added. Along with a teaspoon of ground cinnamon I also like to add a full teaspoon of mixed spice as well. Mixed spice is another spice popular in many Easter bakes, it’s the British equivalent to pumpkin pie spice and it’s frequently used in many of our traditional recipes such as hot cross buns and teacakes.

I wish I could tell you that these carrot cupcakes are healthy because they contain vegetables but unfortunately they’re not! Carrots and other vegetables such as courgette/zucchini are a popular addition in many savoury and sweet recipes. They add moistness and I like to put quite a lot of grated carrot into my cupcakes, this is so I can ensure that there’s carrot in each and every bite. There’s nothing more disappointing than taking a bite from a carrot cake/cupcake and not being able to taste any carrot!

To decorate I decided to top the cupcakes with a classic cream cheese frosting. I’ve trialled several different cream cheese frosting recipes and I’ve found this one to be the best as it holds its shape when piped and really compliments the flavour of the cupcakes.

(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

Carrot Cupcakes:

175g light brown sugar

200g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

Zest from 1 large orange

2 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

150ml sunflower or vegetable oil

200g (approx. 2 large) carrots, peeled and grated – weigh to ensure this is correct

65g chopped walnuts, plus extra for decoration

Cream Cheese Frosting:

60g unsalted butter, softened

200g icing sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

400g full-fat cream cheese, softened – I leave mine out at room temperature for an hour to soften

Method:

1. To make the cupcakes: Preheat your oven 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4 and line a 12-hole cupcake or muffin tin with paper cases. In a large mixing bowl stir together the sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and the orange zest.

2. In another smaller bowl or jug whisk together the eggs and oil until incorporated. Add the wet ingredients to the dry along with the grated carrot and walnuts and stir until completely combined. Evenly divide the batter between the paper cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean without any uncooked batter remaining – mine took the full amount of time to bake. Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin for a few minutes then transport them to a wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature.

3. To make the frosting: Cream the softened butter in a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes to soften. Now add the sifted icing sugar and vanilla and starting on a low speed mix to combine. Continue to cream for 5 minutes or until really pale in colour – stop the mixer halfway through to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

4. Once creamed add the softened cream cheese. Turn the mixer up and whisk on high speed for approximately 2-3 minutes or until the frosting is creamy, thick and smooth. You need to use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment to make sure the frosting reaches the correct consistency.

5. Decorate the cupcakes as desired by piping or spreading the frosting onto each cupcake. Further decoration is optional, I chose to top each cupcake with extra chopped walnuts and a carrot made from royal icing. The carrot decorations can be purchased from most major supermarkets or online but just be sure to decorate just prior to serving. Cupcakes will keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes:

To adapt the recipe into cup measurements please see my conversion tables page for help.
You can adjust the amount of spice or play around by adding different spices to these cupcakes. If you can’t find mixed spice where you live you can substitute it with pumpkin pie spice or alternatively use a different combination of spices.
Adding walnuts to the batter is optional. If you want you can leave them out entirely or swap them for pecans, raisins or desiccated/shredded coconut.
Leave the cream cheese out at room temperature for an hour prior to making the frosting. The cream cheese needs to be soft to ensure the frosting is smooth and all the ingredients incorporate completely.
Don’t add any additional icing sugar to the frosting as this will make your cream cheese frosting too runny and you won’t be able to pipe it. To get perfect cream cheese frosting my best tip is to measure your ingredients accurately using the metric system for the perfect results every time.
If you want you can chill the cream cheese frosting in the fridge for an hour before frosting the cupcakes, I sometimes do this if the weather is particularly humid.
The way you choose to decorate these cupcakes is totally up to you. When I shared the recipe the first time round instead of decorating the cupcakes with chopped walnuts as I did this time I sprinkled the tops with coconut and dusted a few of the cupcakes with cinnamon.

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Buttercream and Frosting · Christmas · Cupcakes

Gingerbread Cupcakes

December 4, 2015December 17, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next20 Comments

Spiced gingerbread cupcakes with tangy and fluffy cream cheese frosting. A festive cupcake perfect for Christmas!

It doesn’t really much more festive than these homemade gingerbread cupcakes! Lightly spiced with festive flavour packed into each bite, these cupcakes are just perfect for the season!

I’ve revamped a classic sponge recipe by adding light brown sugar for a delicious caramel taste and festive spices for warmth. The frosting is my favourite cream cheese frosting. It’s completely fail-proof and works perfectly every single time I make it, the trick to getting it nice and thick is to whisk it until it holds stiff peaks.

Together the cupcake and frosting are the perfect Christmas combination.

When I first tested these cupcakes out we ate them warm with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with toffee sauce. These cupcakes are very versatile, so you can serve them either warm or at room temperature. I personally think serving one of these warm with a generous scoop of ice cream on the side, whipped cream or custard would make a super indulgent dessert!

(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

Gingerbread Cupcakes:

150g unsalted butter, softened

150g dark or light brown sugar

3 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

150g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon mixed spice

4 tablespoons (60ml) milk

Cream Cheese Frosting:

60g unsalted butter, softened

200g icing sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

400g full-fat cream cheese, softened – I leave mine out at room temperature for one hour to soften

Method:

To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a cupcake/muffin tin with paper liners and then set the tin aside.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix to incorporate. Sift together the flour and spices and add to the batter. Fold the flour into the batter until no lumps of flour remain, then finally fold through the milk.
Equally distribute the cupcake batter between the paper liners. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until risen and when inserted into the centre a cake tester comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transport the cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
To make the frosting: Cream the softened butter in a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes to soften. Now add the sifted icing sugar and vanilla and starting on a low speed mix to combine. Continue to beat for 5 minutes or until really pale in colour – stop the mixer halfway through to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Once creamed add the softened cream cheese. Turn the mixer up and whisk on high speed for approximately 2-3 minutes or until the frosting is creamy, thick and smooth. You need to use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the a whisk attachment to make sure the frosting reaches the correct consistency.
Pipe the cupcakes with the frosting and decorate as desired.

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Baking · Cakes

Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

July 24, 2015April 26, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next133 Comments

Light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes topped with a lush vanilla buttercream and sprinkles! The perfect bake for any occasion and a great recipe for anyone new to baking!

It’s about time to share my favourite and fail-proof vanilla cupcake recipe on the blog! And when I say perfect I mean these are the BEST vanilla cupcakes I have ever made!

I baked some delicious vanilla cupcakes to ready celebrate my birthday later this weekend! I turn 19 this Sunday and it wouldn’t be a celebration without cake or sprinkles involved, right?! Vanilla cupcakes have always been one of my favourite bakes and this is a recipe adapted from childhood and it’s one I have been making with my mum since I first stepped into the kitchen.

These are seriously fluffy and with a beautiful vanilla flavour. They’re not sickly sweet and have just the right balance of flavour, sweetness and deliciousness. If you’re a regular reader, then you will know how popular the simple and easy recipes are on this blog! I love my no-bake recipes or no-churn ice creams and now quick and easy cupcake recipes too!

When you’re baking cakes or cupcakes you need to remember some important points for a successful bake. Below I’ve put together my top tips.

1. Always cream the butter and sugar for at least 5 minutes. You want the mixture to be really pale and airy with no big lumps of hard butter. I usually leave the butter out at room temperature overnight to soften. But I am also guilty of softening it in the microwave too!

2. Always bake with room temperature eggs. I experienced many baking fails before finally perfecting these cupcakes. Room temperature eggs will give your cupcakes a finer crumb and they will bake more evenly and quickly. To warm your eggs before baking, place the eggs in a bowl or glass of warm tap water for 5-10 minutes. This is a life-saving baking tip and it’ll save you a lot of frustration!

3. Remember to sift your flour – to avoid lumps of flour in your cupcake batter.

4. Always fold your dry ingredients into the batter. I love to use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour into this cupcake batter, this will stop you knocking any air out of the batter.

5. Test the doneness with a cake tester, this is the most precise way to check the cupcakes are completely cooked through. When the cake tester is inserted into the centre of the cupcake it should come out with no uncooked batter. This way you can guarantee they’re cooked fully!

I recently baked this vanilla cupcake recipe again and decorated the cupcakes with Cake Angels Blush sprinkles and individually hand-crafted Pastel Hydrangea – Flower Power royal icing sugar decorations. Both the sprinkles and royal icing sugar decorations make these cupcakes extra special!

(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

Vanilla Cupcakes:

150g unsalted butter, softened
150g caster or granulated sugar
3 medium or large free-range eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g self-raising flour, sifted (this can substituted with 150g of plain flour + 2 teaspoons baking powder)

Vanilla Buttercream:

150g unsalted butter, softened
300g icing sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons double cream or milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases and set aside.

2. To make the cupcakes: Beat the softened butter with the sugar until fluffy and smooth. Add the eggs one by one along with the vanilla and mix until incorporated – at this point the batter will look like it’s curdled, however once you’ve added the flour it will come together.

3. Now fold through the flour and mix until no lumps of flour remain. Add enough milk to loosen the mixture slightly – approx. 3-4 tablespoons of milk will do.

4. Evenly divide the cupcake batter between the cupcake cases. Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean without any uncooked batter remaining. Leave the baked cupcakes to cool in the tin for a 5-10 minutes, then carefully remove the cupcakes from the tin and transport to a wire rack and allow the cupcakes to cool completely to room temperature.

5. To make the buttercream: Once the cupcakes are fully cooled make the buttercream. Cream the softened butter for a minute or two to soften. Add the sifted icing sugar and the vanilla extract and beat gently together until the butter and sugar has combined. Now continuing creaming for another 2-3 minutes until the buttercream is a light pale colour. Now add the double cream or milk and beat until combined fully.

6. To decorate the cupcakes: Fit a large disposable piping bag with your favourite nozzle. Fill the piping bag with the frosting, pipe even swirls on the top of each cupcake, then finish decorating with sprinkles. If you don’t want to pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes, you can spread the buttercream onto each cupcake using a small palette knife.

Recipe Notes:

Baking time will depend on your oven. This recipe recommends 18-20 minutes, but different ovens may cause the baking time to differ slightly.

This cupcake recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make more.

For the frosting I like to add a few tablespoons of double (heavy) cream. The cream makes the frosting lighter and it will have a creamier texture. If preferred, you can substitute with milk, but please note that frosting will not have a such a creamy texture.

The frosted cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

With the frosting you can add a few drops of your favourite food colouring. Add a touch of red for a pink colour or blue!

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Baking · Cakes · Cupcakes

Eton Mess Cupcakes

May 10, 2014May 10, 2014 What Jessica Baked Next131 Comments

Eton Mess has to be my all time favourite dessert especially in the Summer months. It’s the kind of dessert that’s the epitome of Summer for me. Sweet fresh strawberries mixed with crumbled meringue and freshly whipped cream. If that doesn’t sound like the MOST heavenly thing on earth, then I don’t know what does! And as I love being creative and experimenting with new recipes, I thought I would combine my favourite all-time Summer dessert into cupcake form! This is a fun, delicious cupcake recipe that will definitely become a hit once you try it! Enjoy everyone and have a great weekend!

Vanilla Sponge Cupcakes-

150g of unsalted butter, really soft

150g of golden caster sugar

Good splash of pure Vanilla extract (approx. 1 tsp)

3 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

150g of self-raising flour, sifted Enough ice cold water, to loosen mixture- A friend of mine gave me this tip- the water makes the cake lighter!

Vanilla Buttercream-

150g of unsalted butter, softened

300g of icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp of vanilla bean paste

Toppings & decoration-

Crumbled Meringue pieces

Fresh Strawberries

Method-

1. To make the cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with paper cases. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs and mix through thoroughly. Now fold in the sifted flour and add just enough water to loosen the mixture a little.

2. Distribute the batter between the cupcake cases- I like to use an ice cream scoop, as this way I know all the cupcakes are the same size and will bake evenly. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until nice and risen and a cake tester comes out completely clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.

3. For the buttercream & decoration: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, icing sugar and vanilla. Starting on low speed, cream together for a few seconds, then turn the speed up to medium and beat the mixture for 5 minutes until light and really creamy and pale in colour. Once the buttercream is ready, fit a piping bag with your favourite nozzle- I went for a large star tip. Then fill the bag with the buttercream. Pipe a nice swirl onto each cupcake, then crumble over a little meringue and finish with a fresh strawberry.

ENJOY!