Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Toasted Coconut
Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Toasted Coconut
Well, it’s almost Easter and carrot cake is making an appearance once again on social! So, I decided that I too need a carrot cake recipe on my blog and these Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Toasted Coconut are just perfect! They’re super moist and delicious, topped with a yummy cardamom cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut on top. They’re both gluten-free and grain-free, but you would never know! They are the perfect dessert to share with the family after Easter dinner or even to serve at Easter brunch.
The ingredients in this recipe are pretty typical ingredients that you would have in a carrot cake recipe but, of course, with the substitution of gluten-free flours:
For the cupcakes:
Flour - I used a mix of two of my favourite gluten-free flours: almond flour and tapioca flour. The blend of the two of them creates the perfect texture for these cupcakes.
Sugar - We are using both brown and granulated sugar for this recipe. I always opt for a sugar-free sweetener that works 1:1 to real sugar because, why not! However, regular sugar will work just great for this recipe.
Spices - Carrot cake is typically spiced with a few classic spices, such as cinnamon, which I definitely included in this recipe! Along with that, I added ground ginger and a little allspice. The three of them create a really tasty flavour combination.
Eggs - You will need 4 eggs for this recipe. Almond flour has a more coarse texture, so it requires a little extra binding to hold everything together.
Olive oil - The addition of olive oil to these cupcakes is really what gives them that desirable, soft and moist texture. It plays a very important role!
Yogurt - We are adding a small amount of yogurt to help activate the baking soda. The acid in the yogurt helps this process.
Carrots - Carrots are the star of the show! Heres a quick tip: grate your carrots on the small grate side of your grater. The carrot shreds will be much smaller and will more easily disappear into the cupcake batter. Once baked, the texture of the cupcake will be more fine and you won’t notice them as much.
For the frosting:
Cream cheese - You will need one 8oz block of cream cheese for this recipe. If you want to generously frost the cupcakes, then double the recipe for the frosting and use two blocks of cream cheese.
Powdered sugar - I am definitely not a fan of overly sweet frosting, so with that I found that 2/3 cup was the perfect amount! However, please adjust the amount to your preference. It’s not a science when it comes to the amount sugar we are adding to the frosting.
Vanilla - We are adding vanilla extract to both the cupcakes and the frosting. Adding a little vanilla to the frosting gives it a really delicious flavour.
Cardamom - I added a little cardamom to the frosting to level it up a little and make it unique. You don’t have to add the cardamom, but it adds a nice element of flavour to the frosting.
Salt - Salt in frosting? Yes, but only a pinch! Adding a little pinch of salt will illuminate the flavours of the frosting and make them come to life. However, be VERY careful not to over-salt the frosting because it’s very difficult to fix it.
For the toasted coconut:
Coconut - All you need for the toasted coconut is 3/4 cup dried, shredded coconut. You could also use desiccated coconut, but the coarse texture of shredded coconut gives the garnish an interesting look!
These cupcakes really are so easy to make and though it can be tricky baking with gluten-free flours, one bonus is that you don’t have to worry about over-mixing. They will turn out perfectly fluffy no matter how hard you mix! This recipe makes 14 cupcakes and the quantity of the frosting is just enough to lightly frost all 14 cupcakes. If you are wanting to pipe the frosting ultra high (as shown in the photos), you may want to double the recipe for the frosting.
Happy baking and Happy Easter!
Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Toasted Coconut
Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Toasted Coconut
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
- *8oz (1 block) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- pinch salt
- 3/4 cup dried, shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line 14 muffin tin cups with paper liners and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, salt, baking powder and baking soda until combined.
- To the same bowl, add the eggs, olive oil, yogurt and vanilla and mix again until everything is combined and no dry chunks remain. Fold in the shredded carrots.
- Scoop the cupcake batter evenly into the 14 prepared muffin liners. They will be nearly full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Do not over bake or they will be dry. Check them at 20 minutes and every minute afterwards until they're done).
- While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting: Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and whip on medium-high until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, cardamom and salt and whip again until everything is incorporated, smooth and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Make the toasted coconut: spread the 3/4 cup shredded coconut on a small baking sheet in an even layer. When the cupcakes are done, lower the temperature to 325F and toast the coconut for 5 minutes or until golden.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. Once cool, frost the cupcakes and top with toasted coconut.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*This recipe makes enough frosting to lightly frost all 14 cupcakes. If you would like to pipe the frosting ultra high (as shown in my photos) I would recommend doubling the recipe.