These jumbo carrot cake cupcakes are deliciously moist and flavored with lots of warm spices. The homemade cream cheese frosting makes them taste just like the cake!
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves (Optional)
1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup white sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups freshly grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans (Optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, salt, nutmeg, and cloves together in a large mixing bowl.
Mix brown sugar, sour cream, white sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla together until smooth; add to flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in carrots, then fold in pecans. Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
To make the frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, a bit a time, until smooth and desired sweetness is achieved. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.