Martha Stewart Carrot Cake Cupcakes

This Martha Stewart Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe is a moist and fluffy cupcake treat that’s packed with warm spice flavor. It is made with freshly grated carrots and rich vegetable oil. It’s a straightforward recipe, ready in about 50 minutes.

Martha Stewart Carrot Cake Cupcakes Ingredients

• 1 pound medium carrots, peeled and finely grated
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup buttermilk
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract)
• ½ cup golden raisins (optional)
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and finely chopped (optional)
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, for decorating

How To Make Martha Stewart Carrot Cake Cupcakes

1. Prep the oven and pans: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
2. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together grated carrots, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and optional raisins and nuts.
3. Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
4. Mix batter: Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture until fully combined.
5. Fill muffin cups: Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
6. Bake cupcakes: Bake 23–28 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool completely: Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to wire racks to cool fully.
8. Frost and decorate: Frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle toasted coconut on top.

Recipe Tips

• How to keep cupcakes moist: Use freshly grated carrots—pre-shredded carrots can be too dry.
• Can I add pineapple? Yes, replace part of the carrots with crushed, well-drained pineapple.
• Why did my cupcakes sink? Overmixing the batter or underbaking can cause sinking.
• How to make them nut-free: Simply omit the nuts; no other adjustments needed.
• Can I use store-bought cream cheese frosting? Yes—homemade is best, but store-bought works fine in a pinch.

What To Serve With Carrot Cake Cupcakes

These cupcakes pair well with simple drinks or light toppings.

• Hot coffee or tea
• Fresh fruit
• A drizzle of caramel sauce
• Cold milk

How To Store Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Refrigerate: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freeze: Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge, then frost before serving.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 320
• Fat: 17g
• Carbohydrates: 38g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 27g
• Protein: 3g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and baking methods used.

FAQs

Can I use pre-shredded carrots?
Freshly grated carrots work best because they add more moisture.

Can I bake this as a cake instead of cupcakes?
Yes—use a 9×13 pan and adjust baking time to 35–40 minutes.

Why are my cupcakes dense?
Overmixing the batter or using old baking powder/soda can cause density.

Can I make these dairy-free?
Replace buttermilk with a non-dairy milk + 1 teaspoon vinegar and use dairy-free frosting.

Try More Recipes:

• Martha Stewart Carrot Cake Cheesecake
• Martha Stewart Carrot Cake
• Martha Stewart Caramel Chocolate Cake