Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
These gluten free carrot cake cupcakes are miniature versions of classic carrot cake. Moist carrot cake topped with creamy, decadent cream cheese frosting. The perfect gluten free Easter dessert!
For many years, we’ve been spending Easter Sunday with our friends, and for just as long, I’ve been baking this carrot cake cupcakes recipe.I want to say carrot cake is my favorite cake, but I think it’s because of the frosting. I usually scrape off the frosting from cupcakes or cake, ’cause I’m just not a buttercream fan…but cream cheese frosting? That’s a whole different story!
Maybe that’s why my favorite pie, is CHEESECAKE…it’s all about the cream cheese! This recipe comes from Deli Lane’s in South Miami. I found the recipe in my local newspaper. It’s loaded with pineapple, coconuts and nuts for a tropical twist.
This year, I adapted the recipe to be gluten free, using Jeanne’s Gluten Free Baking Mix, which I keep in my refrigerator. What I like about Jeanne’s philosophy is, that she wants her baked goods to taste like the real thing, so she doesn’t cut corners by using sugar or egg substitutes or low-fat ingredients. Cookies, cakes and cupcakes are meant to be treats, not every day snacks, so why not splurge once in a while with all real ingredients?
The recipe is meant to be a layer cake, but this year, I decided to make them in cupcake form. I added 2 cups of grated carrots, instead of the 1 cup the recipe called for, decreased the pineapple and added an extra teaspoon of vanilla. I really don’t like “fussy” food. The “cake-pop” trend was completely lost on me, for so many reasons. My 12 year old, however, thinks cake pops are the “bomb”. Dan H. loves marzipan as much as I do, so I make little marzipan carrots for each slice, or in this case, each cupcake, for him. Marzipan carrots are about as “cute” as I care to get.
For more gluten free recipes, check out Jeanne’s website, The Art of Gluten Free Baking.
I hope you like these carrot cake cupcakes as much as I do!
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup crushed pineapple well drained
- 2 cups medium grated carrots
- 1 cup finely grated coconut I used sweetened
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10" springform pan.
- Place flour mixture, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and mix with a wire whisk.
- Beat sugar, eggs buttermilk, oil and vanilla well. Fold wet ingredients into the flour mixture.
- Fold in carrots, pineapple, coconut and walnuts.
- Add batter to the pan to cupcake tin lined with cupcake liners. Using about 1/4 cup batter for each cupcake liner. Bake at 250 F. for 60 minutes.
Nutrition
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 16 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar (12 ounces)
- 1/3 cup buttermilk powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 ounces cream cheese chilled and cut into 12 equal pieces.
Instructions
- In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter, powdered sugar, buttermilk powder, vanilla and salt, on low speed until smooth. Add cream cheese, one piece at a time and beat until well blended and smooth.
- Makes about 4 cups. Enough for one cake or 24 cupcakes.
Cynthia: Like your focus and site. Actually pinned one of your recipes. But for your Carrot Cake Cupcakes, could you find a way to substitute honey or something healthy for the sugar.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/20/sugar-dangers.aspx
Thanks, George
George, sometimes I use maple sugar, which has a really great flavor. You can also try coconut or date sugar. I use maple sugar all the time, and it bakes just like white sugar!
Cynthia, you brought some freshly baked, just out of the oven Carrot Cupcakes to my house….we devoured them like crazy. Where do I buy maple sugar and Jean’s gluten free baking mix? I want to bake them tonight for the family!
XOXOXO Marlee
Glad you liked them Marlee! XO!
G’day! How cute to get me into the Easter spirit!
Cheers! Joanne
thanks Joanne!
Love carrot cake! And I love those little carrots on top of your cupcakes. So cute! Thanks for sharing at Saturday Dishes. I’ve included this in my 20 Easter Sweets roundup!
Carrot Cupcakes for the holiday is always a great idea and gluten free is perfect so everyone can enjoy! Thanks for sharing Cynthia!
Happy Holiday!
Joanne
Joanne, these are so good and light even the non gluten free people would love them!
These beauties are adorable, Cynthia! I love them already 🙂
Thanks Del!
These are absolutely adorable!!
Thanks Renee!
These look delicious, thanks so much for sharing!
-Cindy
Hi, just wondered if you could give me any instructions to make the carrots out of marzipan? I have never used marzipan. Thank you
Sherry, you just reminded me that I need to make that post! I’ll get on it right away, because that’s half of the fun!
Forgot to say how cute and yummy these look!!!
Dear Cynthia, these cupcakes are so pretty and delightful! What an adorable treat. xo, Catherine
These look delicious! I haven’t made carrot cake in a long time, perhaps I should try these soon!
So cute, I love the little cupcakes! My dad loves carrot cake, I’ll have to make him a batch of these 🙂
Yummy!! Great site!
thank you!
My 4yr old grandson and I made these and they turned out really good, very easy recipe with great taste.. In in frosting iI cut back the sugar and added lemon juice for a different twist, yum…
sorry just seeing this! Thank you!