Print

Moist Carrot Cake Muffins with Creamy Cheese Centers

moist carrot cake muffins - featured image
Print Recipe

These moist carrot cake muffins feature a luscious, creamy cheese center baked right inside, offering a delightful surprise in every bite. Perfect for brunch, snacks, or a comforting treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots, peeled and finely shredded)
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
  • 8 ounces (225g) cream cheese, softened (full-fat preferred)
  • ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg yolk

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it lightly.
  2. Prepare the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolk until smooth and creamy (about 2-3 minutes). Set aside in the fridge if warm.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
  4. Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  5. Add wet to dry: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold using a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine.
  6. Fold in grated carrots and nuts (if using) carefully. The batter should be moist but not runny.
  7. Fill muffin cups: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup, add roughly 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling in the center, then cover with another 2 tablespoons of batter, ensuring the filling is completely enclosed.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the cake part (not the filling) comes out clean. The cream cheese center should be set but still creamy.
  9. Cool muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Chill the cream cheese filling before adding to the batter to prevent leaking. Do not overmix the batter to keep muffins tender. If cream cheese filling puffs or leaks, add more batter on top to enclose it better. Use room temperature eggs and cream cheese for smoother mixing. Rotate muffin tin halfway if oven heats unevenly.

Nutrition

Keywords: carrot cake muffins, cream cheese center, moist muffins, easy muffin recipe, brunch muffins, snack muffins

Find it online: https://katedishes.com/moist-carrot-cake-muffins-with-creamy-cheese-centers-easy-recipe/