These pumpkin carrot cake cupcakes are the perfect addition to your holiday baking.
Since fall is my favorite season, y’all know I had to bake a few fall recipes to share. The first one I tried didn’t turn out so well. So I won’t be sharing it with you until I make another attempt, if I ever do.
But this recipe was a total success. I love carrot cake. Love it. But add a little pumpkin in there and you will forever have my heart. I made a carrot cake recipe a few months ago on a whim that I really enjoyed, so I took that recipe and modified it a bit to add the pumpkin and the filling. These pumpkin carrot cake cupcakes are rocking my socks off this week!
I’ll be honest with you, I don’t love doing filled cupcakes. I always worry that they won’t turn out right, or I’ll mess something up. But I really wanted to give these a try. Plus, my girl was requesting them soooo…..I didn’t really have a choice.
And this filling is the perfect consistency that adds just a bit of the pumpkin spice flavor. Add the cream cheese frosting and you have a yummy, melt in your mouth fall cupcake.
Pumpkin Carrot Cake Cupcakes {with pumpkin spice filling & cream cheese frosting}
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup milk I used 2% but you could use whole milk as well
- 1 1/3 cups pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2/3 cup crushed pineapple drained
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 cup Baker's shredded coconut
For the filling
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 3.4 oz package JELL-O vanilla instant pudding
- 1 tablespoon JELL-O pumpkin spice instant pudding
For the frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 teaspoons milk
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat milk and eggs until combined.
- Add in sugars, oil, pineapple, carrot and coconut and mix until well combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin tins, filling each cupcake liner about 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in muffin tin 5 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
For the filling
- Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer (or hand mixer), start beating whipping cream on high.
- Add powdered sugar and continue mixing on high.
- As it just starts to thicken, add in puddings and continue to mix. Beat until it gets thicker and the puddings have been fully incorporated (no more grit).
For the frosting
- Beat cream cheese and butter until combined.
- Add in powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.
- Add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you get your desired frosting consistency.
- Frost cooled cupcakes then sprinkle with the chopped walnuts.
Notes
The crushed pineapple can be difficult to drain but try to get as much liquid out as you can or the cupcakes will end up too wet.
Store cupcakes in the refrigerator or cool place.
Enjoy!
Yum!!! It’s a good thing I live so far away. Otherwise, I’d be stopping by for a cupcake this morning. 😉
Ahhh…I think this will be my favorite one so far! Yum! Since I know you love carrot cake, you would have loved the fried carrot cake at the state fair. Don’t let the fried part fool you. 🙂 I think I want to bake this weekend now!
Ummmmmm I need these in my life immediately. Pinned!!!
Oh my gosh I would devour these!!! Delicious! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
Ooo my mouth is watering. This is perfect for National Dessert Day!
Oh my goodness Tiffany! These look sooooo good.
I’m definitely pinning and trying this one.
Thanks for sharing!
xoxo
Oooh, pumpkin and carrot cake together? What a great idea. I bet the texture is soooo good.
Yum! I can’t wait to try these – I’ve been pumpkin-obsessed lately!
xo
Amanda
http://www.fashionablyclearance.com
Yummy! These look so good! My husband loves carrot cake, and I love pumpkin, so these would be perfect for us!
Nom, nom! These look so good! Pinning. I’m going to try making these for tea time next week. ????
This recipe sounds like something that I would really like! Yum! [client]
Thanks Melanie! We loved them!
I’m not kidding you, as soon as Henry gets up from nap time, we’re going to whole foods for a slice of carrot cake. It’s my birthday tomorrow dangit and mama needs cake!! These look SO good.
Oh my gosh, perfect timing!! I was just looking for a pumpkin cupcake recipe, and this one looks so good! And cream cheese frosting….drooling!
I saw your photo on Instagram and thought these sounded lovely! I love carrot cake and pumpkin, so these do sound amazing 🙂 Thanks for hosting #SHINEbloghop