Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my carrot cake hard? ›

There's a big chance your butter and sugar will over-cream, meaning the butter will trap more air than it should. As the batter bakes, that extra air will deflate and leave you with an overly dense cake. It's all science! For best results, cream butter and sugar together for about 1-2 minutes.

“It doesn't have to be refrigerated,” writes Roman, but it's deeply implied by the name, because cold carrot cake is “one of the most delightful textures and flavors in this whole world.”

If you're making the carrot cake and start to second-guess the number of carrots called for in our recipe, don't. You need all three cups. It is a carrot cake, after all. Pecans and Raisins: These add texture, but they are optional.

Bake in the oven for around 25-35 minutes – the cakes are ready when the cake is risen, no longer feels wobbly on top, and springs back when pressed. Leave to cool in tin, then turn out onto a cooling rack.

The two simple ingredients that makes this cake amazing are the oil and Greek yogurt. I love using oil in cakes because not only does it make your cake moist, but it also STAYS moist for much longer than if you used butter. That's because oil is 100% fat where butter is around 80%.

Do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are hard and dry. You need about 4 large carrots for this recipe. And when you grate them, you'll notice how wet they are. That is PRIME moisture for your baked cake and you don't want to skip it!

The key to getting an intense carrot flavor in my cake is using two types of carrots: a caramelized carrot puree and finely shredded carrots. Roasted and pureed carrots make this cake intensely carrot flavored. Carrots are a natural source of sugar, and roasting them at a high temperature caramelizes the sugars within.

Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, explains that carrots turn green when the batter “contains too much baking soda, or when the soda isn't evenly mixed in the batter.” Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance.

"Prepare, bake, and cool the cake completely. Then, wrap each cake layer in cling film, nice and tight, and place in the fridge for at least two hours," he says. That's right, you won't be frosting your cake at room temperature; a chilled cake is essential before applying any frosting. "This step is the most important.

Think thin

It's true that carrots are the star of the show, but aim for finely grated pieces rather than chunky. The finer you grate the carrots, the more evenly they will be distributed throughout the cake (for the perfect texture), and the more evenly the cake and the carrots will bake.

How to prevent carrots from turning green in carrot cake? ›

Either make sure your baking soda is completely mixed with the dry ingredients and evenly moistened, or try decreasing the soda slightly.

If you add too much batter to the cupcake cavities, the batter will rise too much and will consequently fall and deflate, which will leave the middle of the cupcakes looking sad and sunken.

The most common reasons a cake sinks in the middle include the following: The pan is too small. There's too much liquid. Opening the oven or moving pans during baking.

Do not cream Philadelphia cheese too much when you make your frosting. The bonds will break down and then your frosting will get runny. Just cream it until smooth and then add the other ingredients. Mix lightly and rest in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours before you use it.

A dry cake is usually the result of one of the following pitfalls: using the wrong ingredients, making mistakes while measuring or mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature. Once you understand which common cake-baking blunders to avoid, you'll know how to bake a moist cake every time.

You could try turning the heat down to low, and cooking for a longer period. You can also cover the cake with tin foil before you bake to protect the surface from the intense heat while the center cooks.

Adding too many mix-ins

The promise of a cake bursting with nuts, raisins, and a hint of coconut seems like a flavor jackpot. However, too many mix-ins can lead your carrot cake down a dense and heavy path, and that's a baking detour you might want to avoid.

The most common cake soak is simple syrup, equal parts sugar and water cooked until the sugar is dissolved. This added bit of liquid and sweetness help make the cake more moist, and stay moist longer.