Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Fall is upon us and all I want to do is be in my kitchen baking something.  Carrot Cake is a fall food to me; I think it's because it has cinnamon and spices that remind me of fall. I was really happy to make these for a friend of mine who is temporarily leaving town.  She'll be back in a year, but I miss her already. 

I made these for her going away party we had last weekend in our neighborhood and I was really happy with them.  The addition of crushed pineapple in the recipe is unexpected but so delicious. This recipe was for a cake and I made cupcakes out of it.  I'm not sure if there is a conversion necessary when doing this because they didn't release easily from the papers. The taste far outweighed any issues we had with unwrapping them..

Tender, flavorful, and sort of healthy....I mean they have carrots and pineapple so basically health food right? With the addition of raisins and nuts you have a pretty well rounded food.

Topped with Cream Cheese frosting, so good! Cream Cheese frosting recipe below.

Recipe found here

Cake/Cupcakes
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups shredded carrots (I used 3 cups because I didn't add the coconut, walnuts or raisins).
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup raisins

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  If you're making a cake - grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.  For cupcakes this recipe made 12 regular sized cupcakes and 24 minis.

In a bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In another bowl add the shredded carrots and pineapple.  If you're using coconut, walnuts and raisins add them as well.

In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla extract.  Mix well.  Add the flour mixture and incorporate well. Using a large wooden spoon or heavy spoon incorporate the carrot mixture by hand. 

Pour into the cake pan or muffin papers and bake for 1 hour if using a cake pan, if using cupcake papers it only took me about 25-30 minutes for the regular and about 20-25 minutes for the minis.  Check them often with a toothpick, once it comes out clean they are done.

Let them cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting - recipe found here
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Mix all the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer until smooth.  Refrigerate any leftovers.