Carrot Cake Cupcakes

I have struggled for many years to find the PERFECT Carrot Cake recipe to use as cupcakes. A lot of the time it either has so many unnecessary ingredients (can we say RAISINS??) or it's super dry. I don't need to have my mouth feel like the Sahara Desert after eating a cupcake! After many years of trial and error, not to mention tears and kitchen battle scars, I have finally mastered a carrot cake recipe that's the trifecta of moist, simple and absolutely DELICIOUS.

Seriously. Carrot Cake is my favorite cake and I thought I'd go my entire life without ever having some that just made my day. I had to fend my friends off the last one so I could devour it whole. (Don't judge. I love cupcakes AND have a big mouth!)

They're a super moist, delectably simple carrot cake filled with spices, carrot, and a surprise of orange. Topped with a sweet, creamy, slightly tangy cream cheese frosting. Garnished with chopped and candied pecans!

They're everything you could possible want in a carrot cake without being dense, heavy or complicated in flavors.

Carrot Cake Cupcake Recipe

Servings: (I don't remember the exact amount, but it was well over 40.)

Cake Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole pureed orange

5 eggs, room temperature

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cups molasses

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 cup brown sugar (I prefer dark, but have used light for delicious results)

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon of Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 1/2 cups Grated Carrot

Frosting Ingredients:

8 cups of Powdered Sugar

1 cup Butter (I use salted but you can use unsalted), room temperature

16 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature

3 teaspoons of Vanilla

Candied Pecans:

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Salt

4 Cups chopped or halved pecans (I prefer chopped because I can use leftovers for granola)

1 egg white

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon water

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pureed whole oranges and eggs into your bowl. Mix on high for 3-5 minutes. 

2. In a second bowl, mix your flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. 

3. Slowly pour in your vegetable oil and molasses into the orange-egg mixture while continuing to mix on high speed. 

4. Turn your mixer down to low speed and add your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients. Scrape down the sides as you go. Once thoroughly combined, add your grated carrot.

5. Line your cupcake pan and fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan before removing to cool completely on oven rack.

6. While your cupcakes are cooling, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a mixer until blended.

7. Add your powdered sugar one cup at a time until you have the consistency you desire. (I prefer mine a bit stiffer for frosting purposes.)

8. Once your cupcakes have been baked, lower your oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.

9. In a medium bowl, add both sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until combined and set aside.

10. In a large bowl, whisk the egg white, vanilla and water together until the mixture is super frothy. Add the pecans and gently toss until the pecans are well coated. 

11. Add your sugar mixture and toss until the pecans are super coated.

12. Spread the pecans out in a single layer on your baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes, mixing them around every 15 minutes so they cook evenly and don't burn. The sugar mixture will harden on the pecans.

Once everything has been baked and cooled, you can assemble your cupcakes. Take your cooled cupcake, frost with your divine cream cheese frosting, and then garnish with your candied pecans. ENJOY!