Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting
Take classic moist carrot cake cupcakes and top them with a creamier and slightly sweeter mascarpone cream cheese frosting and you will have a whole new Spring favorite!
It was a long and hard wait but I had to hold off on the carrot cake until the breeze finally started feeling like Spring!! It’s 60 today wooot woot woot! And after two thunderstorms, it’s starting to smell like Spring. I start indulging in carrot cake as soon as the spring air arrives. It’s just a Spring thing. Although it is also a fall thing. Hmmmmm might be a year round thing then. I guess I just love carrot cake!!
It’s a shame that I don’t have a single recipe on the blog though. The problem is I am very picky when it comes to carrot cake recipes and I have been on the hunt for the perfect one for a while. They have to be moist (duh), have the perfect amount of carrots but not too much where it tastes like just strings of carrot, they can’t be too sweet, and there needs to be some crunch in there, and of course be topped with cream cheese frosting. See? Told you I was picky. Needless to say, I have found it. These carrot cake cupcakes with mascarpone cream cheese frosting are not only a twist on the classic, they are also all of the above! Moist, with the perfect ratio of carrot to cake, not too sweet, with a little bit of crunch and are topped with a slightly less tangy cream cheese frosting.
I found this recipe on Joy the Baker and I hardly had to alter it. I was pleasantly surprised how the cupcakes turned out to be the perfect carrot cake cupcakes I love from my local bakery. And you know what? They are so easy to make to. It’s a one bowl mixing process. No mixer involved. Just your muscles. Look how beautiful they look above when they come out of the oven? See the ratio of carrots to cake?? Yup, that’s how I like it!!
I topped the carrot cake cupcakes with mascarpone cream cheese frosting because mascarpone is creamier and slightly sweeter than cream cheese making the frosting just so much more delicious. As an avid cupcake frosting swirlier, traditional cream cheese frosting is a nemesis. I dislike it from that point of view but it tastes so good and you CANNOT have carrot cake without it so I just dolloped it on top. Thank God for sprinkles!! And festive Easter eggs 🙂
Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting
Take classic moist carrot cake cupcakes and top them with a creamier and slightly sweeter mascarpone cream cheese frosting and you will have a whole new Spring favorite!
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and finely processed or grated
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup crushed pineapple, drained
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- a pinch of teaspoon ground cloves
Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons milk, depending on your desired consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the carrots, eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, pineapple, dried cranberries and nuts.
- In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves)
- Add the dry ingredients all at once into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined and there are no flour clumps.
- Divide batter into prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-23 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks and cooling completing before frosting.
- For Frosting: Beat the cream cheese on medium speed until soft and creamy, about 3 minutes on medium speed. Add the butter and mascarpone cheese and beat on low until well combined. Then increase speed to medium and beat for 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. Add more milk to reach your desired consistency.
- Frost cooled cupcakes.
- Store cupcakes in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Quick note before we head out for the weekend: Over the next couple of weeks, things are going to get busy for me in lab. I gotta finish experiments for a paper and write said paper by end of this month for publication and once we get to May, I have my annual seminar presentation to my department. All that just means I’ll be baking and blogging less and nerding more. But don’t you worry, a few of my blogging BFFs have already volunteered to take good care of you with some delicious recipes!
Carrot cake is my absolutely favorite!! These are so adorable….love the sprinkles and Cadbury mini….great touch 🙂
Thanks Kelli!!
Aww gotta get your nerd on! I will too in a few weeks AHHHH! I am so picky about carrot cake, mostly in the raisin department…aka the absence of raisin department!!
The end of semester is tough lol! Keep the raisins out and they will still be great!
I’m so in love with these! They are just so adorable and the pineapple inside ensures they are extra moist!
Thanks Jocelyn!!
Great minds think alike! I just posted my recipe for carrot cake cupcakes- loving the mascarpone frosting and the mini egg decorations! Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
Thanks Jessica!! Loved your cupcakes too. Have a great weekend 🙂
I got this huge smile on my face when I saw those pastel sprinkles – they are so cute!! Sprinkles save all my bad frosting attempts 🙂 I’m so glad you used little eggs instead of raisins! Pinning!
I love the sprinkles too!! Makes me happy!
I’m picky about my carrot cake too because it’s one of my faves! These are so pretty and look like they were worth the wait finding the perfect recipe. 🙂
Thanks Marcie!!
You are a lot like me when it comes to being picky about carrot cake Zainab!! I just posted a carrot coffee cake with similar ‘restrictions’!! 😉 These look absolutely lovely!! I adore the pretty eggs on top of the frosting!
We need these restrictions!!! Otherwise standards won’t be great 🙂
It makes so much sense to have carrot cake cupcakes for Easter!
These cupcakes are so pretty with their frosting and pastels, I love it!
Thanks Pamela!
Carrot cake is one of my all time favorites so I’m ecstatic you finally did one!!! Can’t wait to replicate it!
Yes!! You definitely can. Sorry this was shipped to shelter instead of lab.
These look amazing! I love the mini cadbury eggs on top 🙂
Thanks Chloe!
I love the idea of using marscapone cream cheese frosting! I was never a huge fan of carrot cake until i tried it in a cupcake so these are truly calling my name 🙂 I also love how you waited until it felt like spring to make these… we’re almost there in Minnesota 🙂
Cupcakes are the perfect size to enjoy the flavor without feeling overwhelmed. We finally got there this week but I’m sure now that I’ve voiced it out it will go away aieee
Carrot cake perfection! These are so cute with the pastel sprinkles and eggs. The photos are stunning, as always 😉 I know what you’re saying about cream cheese frosting being tough to pipe. I used this recipe: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2014/03/12/shamrock-shake-cupcakes/ for my carrot cake waffles and I really liked it. Also, I just came across this: http://cakemerchant.com/2014/04/10/tropical-carrot-cake/#more-3505 and thought it sounded really promising. But I really like how your dollops look! Kinda vintage 😀
Thanks! I’ll have to try Michelle’s recipe. Cream cheese frosting is delicious but sure needs to look prettier
This is why I need to make carrot cake sometime! Because I’m drooling over every carrot cake cupcake recipe I see in the blogosphere. I’ll find some time this week (I hope.)
Yes you need to!!!
I’m super picky when it comes to carrot cake too, but I’m sure I’d adore these cupcakes! Oh My, that mascarpone frosting. Is it too bad that I want to swim in it?
I hope you have a lovely weekend dear! xxxx
Consuelo swimming in it is highly adviced lol!! Have a great weekend too!!
These look like the absolute perfect carrot cake cupcakes!! The texture looks amazing, and I love that you used mascarpone in the frosting! So perfect for Easter!!
These look wonderful, oh and the frosting…..soooooo good!! I would never be able to eat only one!
Blessings dear. Catherine xo
Thank you very much Catherine!!
Mmmm … love that this recipe contains pineapple! You know, Zainab, I actually really like the ‘rustic’ look when the frosting is just piled on top. These are soooo pretty and just dumping the cream cheese stuff on top makes me feel like even I could get it right! 😉
Thanks Helen! The rustic look does look nice. Have a great weekend 🙂
Hi Zainab
Your cupcakes look so delicious!
I like the pineapple inside.
Chantal
Chantal thanks!! The pineapple definitely adds extra moisture here. Have a great weekend!!
Hi Zainab! Just love these cupcakes and a perfect spring treat! Thank you so much for sharing them at Best of the Weekend – pinning! Good luck with all of your projects…in the meantime, hope you have a fabulous weekend!
Cindy thank you so much for the party! Hope you have a great weeken.
Carrot Cake is one of my top spring-time favorite, too, Z! I love the mascarpone twist on these…I’ll have to try that out sometime! Have fun being nerdy!!
Thanks David! Hope you are having a great weekend!
Wow these look fantastic! Found you via SITS
Thanks for stopping by!!!
I love carrot cake, and this recipe sounds irresistible!
The pastel sprinkles and eggs are perfect for this fluffy-creamy mascarpone frosting! I just recently started using mascarpone in place of or in addition to cream cheese in frosting. I love what it does to the texture and the flavor. 🙂 Paired with your tropical carrot cupcakes, sounds delicious!
Thanks Wendy!!
Love these cute cupcakes, Zainab! I have don’t think I have a carrot cake recipe on my blog either, so I will be fixing that asap! These cupcakes look so moist and I just love that mascarpone frosting! Plus Easter sprinkles. 🙂
Thanks Beth!! It’s funny how sometimes we forget to post some basic favorites lol
Oh, man, I am seriously considering throwing an Easter brunch JUST so I can serve these 🙂
Yes!!! Do it!! But make it healthier???
Your cupcakes look sooooooooooo tempting!!
My family absolutely adores carrot cakes, but I don’t usually make as cupcakes
Beautiful!
YUM!!! I am going to have to give marscapone cheese a try in my frosting. *I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!*
Yes you should!! It’s so goood and addicting!!
I am so tempted.. but I am going away on Easter so I won’t be able to try these cupcakes.
My brother, FIL, and dad all have birthdays in the Spring and all love carrot cake. We eat so much and it has nothing to do with Easter. It isn’t my favorite because well there is not chocolate but I am certainly not complaining. This frosting sounds wonderful.
These look good, Z! I love how pretty the icing and toppings are.
OH and lucky you, thunderstorms! I love a good thunderstorm and surprisingly, it’s been a little while since we had one. Strange for Florida!
Julie I’m a huge baby when it comes to thunderstorms. Hate them. Just like puppies I crawl up under the sheets.
we have a soft spot for mascarpone….and it topped on tiny carrot cakes is one marvellous idea,thanks so much for sharing 🙂
That mascarpone cream cheese frosting looks incredible! Carrot cake is already one of my favorites, but I have a feeling I would like it even better with this creamy, slightly sweeter frosting.
Good luck with all the research and projects you have coming up. You’ll be a rockstar!
Thanks Jaime!!
These look perfect for Easter! Thanks for sharing with us at MM tonight – pinning!
Thanks Deb!
I am SUPER picky about carrot cake also!! If it’s not perfect, why bother eating it? But these cupcakes are definitely perfect. That mascarpone frosting sounds lick-the-bowl good!
I may or may not have been caught licking a good portion of it.
Amazing! And they’ve got to be on the healthy side because of the carrots!
Exactly!! And perfect for breakfast 🙂 Thanks Tonia!!
WOW! These do look like the perfect little carrot cake cupcakes! Yay for spring too! Pinned!
ThAnks Julie!!
These carrot cupcakes are absolutely magical and perfect for Easter! In love!
Thanks Jocelyn!!
I love carrot cake so much, Zainab! I’ve never made it before since I’m so lazy I don’t want to grate all the carrots but guess what? My new food processor will make short work out of that task so bring on all the carrot cake recipes! Or maybe just this one, because you’ve got some mighty high praise for it. These are absolutely gorgeous! Your photos never cease to amaze me. I love that you used mascarpone in the frosting to tone down the tang of the cream cheese. Yum!
Yes!! Use that food processor. I used mine here too coz I couldn’t be bothered to grate all that carrot lol!
I love these adorable cupcakes Zainab! My husband’s favorite is carrot cake and I can’t seem to get enough carrot cake lately too – the mascarpone cream cheese frosting sounds heavenly and the sprinkles and eggs make these look super pretty and festive 🙂 Good luck with your paper and seminar – you will rock them girl 🙂
Thanks for the support Kelly always!!
mascarpone frosting sounds fantastic!