Rich and Moist Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients

• Batter:
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 ¼ cups brown sugar
• 2 ¼ cups grated carrots
• 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Cream Cheese Icing:
• 1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar, or as needed
• ½ (8 ounce) package cream cheese (such as Philadelphia®)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 lemon, zested

Step 1

Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, combine the oil, eggs, brown sugar, and grated carrots, mixing them together until well blended. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla sugar, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring just until everything is combined.

Step 2

Spoon the batter evenly into a muffin tin lined with 12 cupcake liners. Pop them in the oven on the middle rack and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake! Once they’re done, let the cupcakes cool completely, which usually takes around 45 minutes.

Step 3

While they cool, make the frosting by mixing the confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl. Stir until you get a smooth, thick, and creamy icing. Cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up before spreading it on the cupcakes.