Welp, you know I love cupcakes, and carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts of all time. So when Disney smooshes them together, I’m a happy camper!
So on a recent trip to Disney World I was excited to see some additional Carrot Cake Cupcakes in the mix!
Starring Rolls Cafe Carrot Cake Cupcake
First up, let’s check out Cupcake Central — Starring Rolls Cafe — where all great Disney World Cupcakes get their start (or so it seems).
This was a new cupcake in the case on my last trip, and I Could. Not. Wait. to try it out.
Carrot Cake Cupcake Orange side
I will admit I was a little skeptical when I saw the double-colored frosting and Mickey sprinkles on top. That didn’t seem all that “Starring Rollsian” to me…
With all of that color and fanfare, I started to worry that this might be a bit like the Pink, White, and Blue cupcakes — a lot of hype with not a whole lotta flavor. Note the lack of frosting covering the WHOLE cupcake up at the top…
I dug in anyway — eager to see what was up!
Carrot Cake Cupcake White Side
At first bite, I was sure to get some of the cake as well as some of that multi-colored frosting and a few of the nuts on top. I wanted the full flavor experience!
And…as I feared…this cupcake falls slightly flat. The frosting didn’t have a strong cream cheese taste to it, and the cake wasn’t as moist and flavorful as I would have liked. (See the Roaring Fork Carrot Cake Cupcake to see what it’s really supposed to be like.)
Carrot Cake Cupcake Cross-Section
Overall, while this wasn’t a bad dessert option, I would skip this guy in favor of the other Starring Rolls cupcake choices. They’re going to have a bigger bang for your buck in my opinion.
Sunshine Seasons Carrot Cake Cupcake
Now, over at Sunshine Seasons in Epcot, they were serving another new-to-me Carrot Cake Cupcake! I headed over there soon after to sample this version…
Carrot Cake Cupcake
Looks pretty standard, eh? Low level of frosting…weird orange and green carrot piped on top so you know what it is…random chopped nut coating. Hmm… would this be another disappointment?
Carrot Cake Cupcake Cross-Section
NO WAY, MAN! Believe it or not, this unassuming Carrot Cake Cupcake was delicious! The frosting wasn’t grainy and sugary, but creamy instead — with a definite cream cheese flavor and thick texture.
The cake itself was moist, chunky, and not at all “bread-y.” It could have served as a dessert in and of itself.
Yep — I was pleased with this one. Delightedly so.
Overall
So the moral of the story is — don’t judge a book by it’s cover! A lot of hype doesn’t always mean a lot of flavor; and even when something looks standard and plain, it can be extraordinary.
What are your favorite carrot cake finds in Disney World and Disneyland? Let us know in the comments below!
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Excellent!! Carrot cake is one of my all time faves and I will defo be checking out Sunshine Seasons next time 😉
That looks pretty close to the carrot cake I had at Pecos Bills. I too love Carrot Cake, so when I saw it, I jumped at the chance to have some change from the chocolate cake dessert option. It was really good, might have to stop by Sunshine Seasons and compare the two!!
Soo….do these have raisins?? That’s a deal breaker 🙂
I loved the carrot cake cookie at the Writer’s Stop the first time I had it because there were NO raisins in the one that I had…but then I had it two more times and BOTH times there were tons of golden raisins…ick! So unfortunately I won’t be having that again…
I’m so glad you posted this, because I’m a sucker for carrot cake and we’re planning stops at both Starring Rolls and Sunshine Seasons in a couple of months. My first reaction to the Starring Rolls version was the same as yours–it looked like there was a lot going on, on top. (And not necessarily in a good way.) But the version at Sunshine Seasons sounds wonderful–I can’t wait!
But whither the FILLINGS? My concern about this dearth of cupcake-fillings continues to grow . . . .
Lucy — Check out that carrot cake review post, too — lots more yummies to try!
Matt — Lemme know what you discover!
Lisa — These did NOT have raisins! Yeah… I was gonna say, that carrot cake cookie does have golden raisins. What a bummer for you!
Amy — Woo! Another carrot cake fan! Enjoy, and be sure to take a look at that other carrot cake post to find good options elsewhere in WDW.
V — Ha ha! I hear ya!! If it’s any consolation, MOST carrot cake cupcakes don’t have fillings, so I’m not TOO worried about those. But I’m with you that the lack of fillings in the other new cupcakes is disturbing…
Carrots for dessert…..I just can’t do it. 🙂
Hi AJ! I was just wondering, what do you think the best snacks (besides these awesome cupcakes!) in Hollywood Studios are? Whether it comes from a cart, a stand, or a quick-service place, I wanna know!
See I disagree…I thought the Starring Rolls carrot cake cupcake was just perfect! I’m not a huge icing fan but I thought it was lovely. Right on the money with the cream cheese flavor. Not too sweet, not too cheesy, not too sour as I could be. I think people should give it a go!
I just had the carrot cake cupcake at sunshine seasons for my birthday – it was great! I didn’t have any others though so i can’t compare. My wife was so jealous she couldn’t have any (she is gluten free) that when we got home she made a batch up gf carrot cake cupcakes!