This creamy, chocolate-y Carrot Patch Cupcakes Recipe is a fast and easy Springtime treat that is sure to make you smile.
Cute little frosting carrots growing in a chocolate cupcake "dirt patch" make a fun and easy cupcake recipe that everyone will love.
Spring doesn't last very long here in the Southwest. If you blink... you might miss it. So, we jump on it and celebrate the few minutes we can.
We run (not walk) outside to plant a tiny garden filled with things that can ripen early or hide underground from the blazing sun. Carrots are one of my favorites to plant.
This carrot patch cupcakes recipe is a fun recipe that I made for my own kids, my school kids and my Cub Scout kids on "planting day." The cupcakes are just a little bite sized bit of fun to make waiting on seeds to sprout a little easier.
Plant some memories of your own with these carrot inspired cupcakes. They perfect for an Easter treat for your family or the Easter Bunny!
How to make Carrot Patch Cupcakes Recipe
- First, bake your cupcakes. I like this easy chocolate cupcake recipe so the cupcakes look like "dirt" but, a good carrot cake recipe or spice cake work very well for that. Be sure to crumble up a few Oreos to sprinkle on top if you don't use chocolate cake.
- Next, prepare the chocolate frosting. This recipe has an easy chocolate icing that is very quick to whip up. You can also choose my Easy Mexican Chocolate Frosting recipe that adds a taste of cinnamon.
- After making the chocolate frosting, whip together the white buttercream for the "carrots" or you can use this Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe for a little extra flavor (here's a secret tips: sometimes I use canned or boxed frosting mix for this step).
- Add orange food coloring to the white icing a few drops at a time. You can always use more coloring but, you can't take it out if you use too much.
- Make your crumbs or "dirt" by grinding up chocolate Teddy Bear Graham Cookies or chocolate graham crackers into crumbs. Yes, you can use regular graham crackers, they will be lighter brown. I use Oreos sometimes if I can't find the chocolate grahams (I scape out the frosting first) but, they are very, very dark. These homemade chocolate cut out cookies are delicious and work very well for the chocolate "dirt." PLUS, you will have most of the cookies left over!
- Finally, assemble your Carrot Patch Cupcakes.
Assemble Your Carrot Patch Cupcakes
- Make a little hole in the center for your cupcakes with a melon baller or a knife. Using a knife works well because you can shape the hole like a cone for that carrot shape. Of course, no one will ever know unless you cut a cupcake in half.
- Frost your cupcakes with Chocolate frosting. Be careful not to fill the hole with the frosting.
- Put the orange frosting a a piping bag with a large-ish size round tip or no tip at all. Here is an Amazon Link to a piping bags kit like the ones I use.
- Pipe the "carrots" into the cupcakes filling the hole. Pipe a half inch or so above "the ground" or top of the chocolate frosting.
- Carefully spread the "dirt" or crumbs around the carrots on the top of the chocolate icing.
- Garnish with a sprig of something green and edible. I use the carrot tops for carrots from the grocery store. I have also used flat leaf parsley and even celery leaves.
- Serve the Carrot Patch Cupcakes Recipe and have fun!
Can I use a Cake Mix or Pre-made Frosting?
Yes!
This Carrot Patch Cupcakes Recipe is made from scratch BUT you can easily use your favorite boxed cake mix.
TIP: If you only have time to make one thing from scratch, choose the Chocolate Frosting. Time for two things? Make the frosting for the carrots, as well.
I hope you have as much fun with this recipe as I do. Let your imagination run wild! You can use red food color to make beets, purple and white for turnips, the sky is the limit!
Cute Cupcakes you will love!
- Ghosts on Carrot Cupcakes
- Mini Cream Cheese Pumpkins on Easy Cupcakes
- Easy Cupcakes with Toasted Meringue
- Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes with Nutella Ganache
Let me know what you think of this recipe or any ideas you have Springtime desserts or treats.
Leave a comment here on the blog or follow Everyday Southwest on Facebook, you can always reach me there. I LOVE hearing from you!
See you soon!
Sandy
Carrot Patch Cupcakes Recipe - Easy and Cute!
Ingredients
- Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients.
- 1-½ c. all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 tbsp softened butter
- 1-½ c. granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 c. milk
- Cupcake Chocolate Icing Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter softened
- 2-½ c. powdered sugar
- ½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ c. milk
- Carrot Icing and "dirt" Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter softened
- 2-½ c. powdered sugar
- ¼ c. milk
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- orange or red and yellow food dye
- ¾ c. crushed chocolate graham crackers
- sprigs of actual carrot tops or mint leaves
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line cupcake tins with paper baking cups.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Sift and set aside.
In large bowl, add butter, sugar, vanilla eggs and milk. Beat at low speed until creamy.
Add flour mixture to wet mixture, a ½ cup at a time until combined.
Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full.
Bake on center rack of oven 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean.
Cool completely on wire rack.
Chocolate Icing Instructions
Combine butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in mixing bowl, beating at medium speed until creamy. You can add a little more milk or powdered sugar if icing is too thin or thick.
Spread on cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with crumbled chocolate graham crackers.
Carrot Icing Instructions
Using an apple corer or small spoon, scoop out a small amount of cupcake from center of each. Should be no more than ½ inch deep.
Mix together on medium speed, the sugar, butter, vanilla and milk until creamy. If too thin, add more powdered sugar a little at a time until desired consistency to go through the decorating tip and be firm enough to hold its carrot shape. Add drops of orange food dye until it reaches desired color. I didn't have orange dye so I used 10 drops of red and 13 drops of yellow.
Spoon icing into pastry bag fitted with a 1A tip. Twist top of bag, squeezing icing down to tip. Insert Holding bag upright, insert tip into hole of cupcake and squeeze lightly while lifting up. Only deposit icing about ¾ to 1 inch above surface of cupcake. Insert small sprigs of green carrot tops into each carrot or you can use mint leaves.
Notes
Yes! To save time, you may use your favorite boxed cake mix or frosting for this recipe.
If you only have time to make one thing (the cupcake OR the frosting, my vote is to make the frosting. Fresh chocolate frosting (icing) or cream cheese frosting (icing) can make a world of difference.
These cook and prep times are for the preparation of the cupcakes and the frosting itself. Allow yourself additional time to pipe the "carrots" into the cupcakes. It should only take 5 to 10 minutes unless you have not worked with a piping bag before.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 674Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 67mgSodium 372mgCarbohydrates 119gFiber 4gSugar 88gProtein 8g
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