Carrot Cake Cupcakes

These are hands down the best Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting you'll ever find. They're moist without being dense, and have just the right amount of spice. Add nuts or leave them out — it's up to you!

Ingredients:

1 cup (100g) chopped walnuts

1 pound (450g) carrots (about 3 1/2 cups), grated

3 large eggs

1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, or add a teaspoon of lemon juice to regular milk and allow to stand for 10 minutes

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups (400g) sugar

1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil

1 tablespoon orange zest

3 cups (400g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

16 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Method:

1.Toast the walnuts:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toast the walnuts in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

2.Line 2 standard (12-well) cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

3.Mix wet ingredients and carrots:

Place the buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest together in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Then stir in the grated carrots.

4.Mix dry ingredients:

In another bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon.

5.Fold dry ingredients into wet, add walnuts:

Fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture, being sure not to over-mix. Fold in the toasted walnuts until evenly incorporated.

6.Bake:

Scoop the batter into cupcake papers, filling them about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake for 19-21 minutes at 350°F, rotating the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking.

Cool for 5 minutes before taking the cupcakes out of the cupcake tin and allowing them to fully cool on a wire rack.

7.Make the frosting:

Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until well combined. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

ENJOY.