Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting

When it comes to Easter recipes carrot cake seems like a staple, but honestly I’ve never been a huge fan of it. I guess that’s because I prefer chocolate desserts. Recently I decided to give it a second chance though and I’m so glad I did! We had some baby carrots on hand since we heard they were good for dogs, but Emmy wasn’t going to eat them all before they went bad so I figured I’d try to make some cupcakes! Because that’s way more fun than just eating them plain. Since I’ve never made carrot cake before, I used this recipe from Pinch of Yum. She claims they are “the best” and I’d have to agree! They are super moist and flavorful. I made them into mini cupcakes, which is a great way to serve them at an Easter gathering. Bite-sized treats are much easier to snack on when you’re being social! Instead of traditional cream cheese frosting I topped them with brown butter buttercream. Browning the butter gives the frosting a delicious nutty flavor that complements the carrot cake perfectly! It’s also really good on pumpkin cupcakes. It’s very versatile and instantly elevates any baked good. And clearly I like a 1:1 ratio when it comes to frosting and cupcake haha. Enjoy!

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Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting

Moist, flavorful and perfect for an Easter gathering! The nutty frosting complements the moist, flavorful cupcakes perfectly. Cupcake recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum. 

Course Dessert

Servings 24 mini cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup grated carrots
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg beaten

For the frosting

• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

For the cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a mini cupcake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

3. In a small bowl or the liquid measuring cup, mix together oil and carrots. Add to flour mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in beaten egg until combined. Fill cupcake cavities 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 11 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Top should be springy and slightly browned. Let cool. 

For the frosting

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring regularly. When it starts to turn a golden color and has a nutty aroma remove from heat. Pour into heat-proof bowl and place in refrigerator to harden. 

2. Remove browned butter and let it warm up to room temperature. Place in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until creamy. 

3. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt. Mix on low until combined, then increase to medium-high and mix for an additional minute or two until fluffy. Transfer to piping bag fitted with your favorite decorating tip and frost the cooled cupcakes.