The Best Carrot Cake Recipe

I made my mom’s carrot cake recipe in the form of cupcakes the other day.  Her recipe is the best one I’ve ever tasted for carrot cake.  The more I talk to people, the more I’ve realized carrot cake is one of those recipes that is very personal.  A lot of people have their own family recipe with the ingredients they enjoy.  It is kind of like potato salad in that way.  In their carrot cake, some add pineapple, others nuts, or coconut.

This recipe is more of a plain version.  It doesn’t have pineapple or coconut, and you can add the nuts or not, whichever you prefer. It is very simple to make.  You just throw everything together. You can either grate the carrots by hand, or put them in your food processor which really makes them quick to make.  The best thing about it is that it is very moist and the spices are just right. There isn’t anything in it to distract you from the cream cheese frosting, which everyone seems to agree is the best part of carrot cake.

You have to make sure you pile the cupcakes high with the cream cheese frosting.  I think it is a requirement for carrot cake. Or chocolate cupcakes.  Or vanilla cupcakes. Or….Well, maybe that is just my requirement. If you don’t have a family carrot cake recipe, please feel free to use ours.  It would be the perfect dessert for Easter or Mother’s Day or any time you get a craving for cream cheese frosting.  Since it has carrots in it, I think it counts as a vegetable, doesn’t it?  I have been meaning to get more vegetables in my diet. I recently heard it is good to have an orange vegetable every day.  With these cupcakes, that will not be a problem.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

• Servings: 24-30
• Time: 1 1/2 hours plus cooling time
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

• 2 c sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 c canola oil
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 3 c grated carrots
• 1/2 to 1 c chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place cupcake papers in muffin tin.
3. Stir all ingredients together until mixed.
4. Pour into cupcake papers, filling about 2/3 full.
5. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes, checking to see if done with a toothpick.  In order to have moist cupcakes, don’t overcook.
6. Cool.
7. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
8. Makes about 24 to 30 cupcakes.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 1 lb. package powdered sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 c) butter, softened
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tsp. vanilla

1.  Mix the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla first, until most of the lumps are gone.
2. Add half the cream cheese, and mix until smooth.  Do the same thing with the other half.  Don’t beat on too high of a speed, as this will put air bubbles in the frosting.
3. Frost cupcakes, and refrigerate.

Recipe from Cook AZ I Do, courtesy of my mom, Vicki Poor

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