Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Cream Cheese And Pineapple Filling

I love carrot cake, so when I decided to make cupcakes, I went with my favorite carrot cake recipe and baked cupcakes. I filled them with a mixture of cream cheese and crushed pineapple. Delicious!

Homemade Carrot Cake Cupcakes

You'll absolutely love these. They make a nice handheld dessert at potlucks, holiday parties, or anytime.

Recipe makes 12 cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon organic cinnamon
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup of sugar
2 large eggs - beaten
1 ½ cups grated carrots
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped pecans

Frosting Ingredients:

1 stick of butter - softened
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of organic cinnamon
2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
Milk (for thinning the frosting if it's too thick)

Cupcake Filling Ingredients:

⅓ cup of the cream cheese frosting
1 small can of crushed pineapple - drained

Supplies:

12-count muffin tin
Cupcake liners
Corer - to make a hole in the cupcakes for the filling
Gold Sugars for topping - OPTIONAL
Stand mixer

Prepare The Cupcakes

Set the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.

Mix the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts in a separate bowl until well blended.

Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, a little at a time, with the mixer on low, until all ingredients are well blended.

Fold in the carrots and raisins until all are incorporated.

Line a muffin tin (12 cupcakes) with the cupcake liners, and fill each liner about ¾ full.

Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove cupcakes to a wire rack, and cool completely before frosting.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting and filling.

Make The Frosting

Cream the softened butter and cream cheese in the mixing bowl until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and cinnamon and mix well.

Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until all the powdered sugar has been mixed into the cream cheese mixture.

If the frosting appears too thick, add a little milk, a teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

If you need to thicken the frosting, add a spoonful of powdered sugar until the frosting is the desired thickness.

Make The Filling

Measure out ⅓ cup of the cream cheese frosting into a small bowl. Add the drained crushed pineapple, and stir.

Place the frosting and filling in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Remove the filling, and place it in a pastry bag or in a Ziploc bag to pipe the filling into the cupcakes.

When the cupcakes have cooled completely, take the corner and remove the top center of the cupcake. Lay the removed piece of cupcake beside each cupcake.

Pipe a dollop of the filling into the center of each cupcake, and once the cupcakes have been filled, replace the center piece back into the cupcake, and press down slightly.

When all cupcakes have been filled, place the cream cheese frosting in a pastry bag, or large Ziploc bag, and swirl the cream cheese frosting onto the cupcakes in a pretty swirl, covering the cored-out piece.

Once all cupcakes have been frosted, place them in a cupcake container in a single layer, cover them, and place them in the refrigerator. Cupcakes may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.