- Cupcakes:
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 tablespoon cake flour
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar, or more as needed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 drops orange food coloring
- 1 (1.5 ounce) tube black decorating gel
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). (If using a countertop induction oven, preheat to 325 degrees F.) Grease 12 pumpkin-shaped cupcake molds (silicon molds work well).
- Sift 2 cups cake flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Mix in sugar, oil, and eggs until combined. Stir carrots and pineapple into the batter.
- Place 1 tablespoon cake flour in a bowl. Toss walnuts and chocolate chips in flour until coated; fold into batter.
- Pour batter into cupcake molds to about two-thirds full; gently tap molds onto work surface to remove air bubbles.
- Bake in preheated oven (or countertop induction oven) until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes (or 15 to 20 minutes in the countertop induction oven). Cool to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes; remove from molds.
- Combine butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until well blended, 4 to 6 minutes. Mix in confectioners' sugar on low speed, 1/2 cup at a time, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Add lemon juice and orange food coloring; stir until combined. Refrigerate until set, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Frost cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting; decorate with black decorating gel.