I love a good carrot cake, but making a whole cake can be a bit overwhelming. That's why I came up with this quick and easy cupcake recipe as a grab-and-go alternative to my favorite dessert. I've discovered that using avocado oil and Greek yogurt really elevates the moisture and flavor of these cupcakes. You should definitely give them a try. Let's get baking!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 16 cupcake tins with non stick cooking spray or butter. Place the tins on a baking sheet and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, Greek yogurt, and vanilla until fully combined. Add the grated carrots and walnuts to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
¼ cup avocado oil, 2 large eggs, ¾ cups light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup Greek yogurt, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 ½ cups carrots, ½ cup walnuts
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with an electric mixer. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl into the mix. Mix until all ingredients are combined.
Use a large soup spoon or cookie scoop to fill the cupcake tins with batter. Evenly fill the tins 2/3 full.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each one comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool for 30 minutes before frosting the cupcakes.
To make the cream cheese frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and mix for up to 1 minute until well combined and smooth.
1 8 oz block cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter
Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined. Stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
2 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract