For years I searched for the perfect carrot cake — and by perfect I mean the classic version: no whole-wheat substitutions, no applesauce, no pineapple or coconut, and absolutely real carrots. I wanted a moist, light, perfectly spiced cake topped with rich cream cheese frosting. Worth every calorie.
After several almost-right attempts, I finally landed on a recipe that checks every box. It comes from the test kitchens at Cook’s Illustrated, who developed this method through careful trial and error. Their approach produces a carrot cake that’s tender, well-spiced, and beautifully textured.
I was initially skeptical about using a food processor and an all-oil batter instead of butter, but the results convinced me. The food-processor shredding disk makes quick work of the carrots, and the emulsified batter yields a consistently moist crumb. I did add a personal tweak—half a teaspoon of ginger—because I love that extra warmth, but otherwise this is their recipe through and through.
If you’re a carrot cake fan, give this one a try. It’s simple, reliable, and exactly what you want when you crave classic carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients:
- 2½ cups (12.5 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 lb. (6-7 medium) carrots, peeled
- 1½ cups (10.5 oz) granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups canola, safflower or vegetable oil
Frosting Ingredients:
- 12 oz. cream cheese (not softened)
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt; set aside.
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Using a food processor fitted with a shredding disk, shred the peeled carrots — you should have about 3 cups. Add the shredded carrots to the bowl with the dry ingredients and set aside. Rinse the food processor bowl, attach the metal blade, and process the granulated and brown sugars with the eggs until frothy, about 20 seconds. With the machine running, stream in the oil through the feed tube and continue processing until the mixture is light in color and emulsified, about 20 more seconds. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the carrots and dry ingredients until fully combined and no streaks of flour remain.
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Scoop batter evenly into the prepared liners so each is about two-thirds full. Bake 20–24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan at least 5 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
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To make the frosting: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high until smooth, about 2–3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar until incorporated, then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
Notes
Additional Info
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Ali’s Tip:
For even cupcake portions I like using a large ice cream scoop. A 1M Wilton tip is my go-to for piping the frosting.