diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/README.md b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/README.md
index c4c7d3caa1f97..7217ecaefb357 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/README.md
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/README.md
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ You can add customized capacity through `cluster.addCapacity()` or
 ```ts
 cluster.addCapacity('frontend-nodes', {
   instanceType: new ec2.InstanceType('t2.medium'),
-  desiredCapacity: 3,
+  minCapacity: 3,
   vpcSubnets: { subnetType: ec2.SubnetType.PUBLIC }
 });
 ```
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ you can use `kubeletExtraArgs` to add custom node labels or taints.
 // up to ten spot instances
 cluster.addCapacity('spot', {
   instanceType: new ec2.InstanceType('t3.large'),
-  desiredCapacity: 2,
+  minCapacity: 2,
   bootstrapOptions: {
     kubeletExtraArgs: '--node-labels foo=bar,goo=far',
     awsApiRetryAttempts: 5
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/lib/cluster.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/lib/cluster.ts
index 04ed3df18954a..bff8969dbee17 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/lib/cluster.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/lib/cluster.ts
@@ -401,10 +401,10 @@ export class Cluster extends Resource implements ICluster {
     }
 
     // allocate default capacity if non-zero (or default).
-    const desiredCapacity = props.defaultCapacity === undefined ? DEFAULT_CAPACITY_COUNT : props.defaultCapacity;
-    if (desiredCapacity > 0) {
+    const minCapacity = props.defaultCapacity === undefined ? DEFAULT_CAPACITY_COUNT : props.defaultCapacity;
+    if (minCapacity > 0) {
       const instanceType = props.defaultCapacityInstance || DEFAULT_CAPACITY_TYPE;
-      this.defaultCapacity = this.addCapacity('DefaultCapacity', { instanceType, desiredCapacity });
+      this.defaultCapacity = this.addCapacity('DefaultCapacity', { instanceType, minCapacity });
     }
 
     const outputConfigCommand = props.outputConfigCommand === undefined ? true : props.outputConfigCommand;
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.defaults.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.defaults.expected.json
index 3d033347d03a4..84a92585492f0 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.defaults.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.defaults.expected.json
@@ -1040,7 +1040,6 @@
       "Properties": {
         "MaxSize": "2",
         "MinSize": "1",
-        "DesiredCapacity": "2",
         "LaunchConfigurationName": {
           "Ref": "ClusterDefaultCapacityLaunchConfig72790CF7"
         },
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.kubectl-disabled.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.kubectl-disabled.expected.json
index 794734b570960..337644a485dae 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.kubectl-disabled.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.kubectl-disabled.expected.json
@@ -941,7 +941,6 @@
       "Properties": {
         "MaxSize": "1",
         "MinSize": "1",
-        "DesiredCapacity": "1",
         "LaunchConfigurationName": {
           "Ref": "EKSClusterNodesLaunchConfig921F1106"
         },
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.kubectl-disabled.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.kubectl-disabled.ts
index 5cdab928f90cf..cffa45e2fb4ee 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.kubectl-disabled.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.kubectl-disabled.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class EksClusterStack extends TestStack {
 
     cluster.addCapacity('Nodes', {
       instanceType: new ec2.InstanceType('t2.medium'),
-      desiredCapacity: 1,  // Raise this number to add more nodes
+      minCapacity: 1,  // Raise this number to add more nodes
     });
     /// !hide
   }
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.lit.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.lit.expected.json
index 9cf9a0ae81c26..f378b3772d256 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.lit.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.lit.expected.json
@@ -1040,7 +1040,6 @@
       "Properties": {
         "MaxSize": "1",
         "MinSize": "1",
-        "DesiredCapacity": "1",
         "LaunchConfigurationName": {
           "Ref": "EKSClusterNodesLaunchConfig921F1106"
         },
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.lit.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.lit.ts
index 5ab3956b1ba96..e899a4443ea11 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.lit.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-cluster.lit.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class EksClusterStack extends TestStack {
 
     cluster.addCapacity('Nodes', {
       instanceType: new ec2.InstanceType('t2.medium'),
-      desiredCapacity: 1,  // Raise this number to add more nodes
+      minCapacity: 1,  // Raise this number to add more nodes
     });
     /// !hide
   }
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-helm.lit.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-helm.lit.expected.json
index 2beb4a8e36e1f..9119422895ac2 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-helm.lit.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-helm.lit.expected.json
@@ -941,8 +941,7 @@
         "Type": "AWS::AutoScaling::AutoScalingGroup",
         "Properties": {
           "MaxSize": "3",
-          "MinSize": "1",
-          "DesiredCapacity": "3",
+          "MinSize": "3",
           "LaunchConfigurationName": {
             "Ref": "cluster22NodesLaunchConfig184BF3BA"
           },
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-helm.lit.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-helm.lit.ts
index 35113435a740b..dab62b18d39b0 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-helm.lit.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-helm.lit.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class ClusterStack extends TestStack {
     // automatically be mapped via aws-auth to allow nodes to join the cluster.
     this.cluster.addCapacity('Nodes', {
       instanceType: new ec2.InstanceType('t2.medium'),
-      desiredCapacity: 3,
+      minCapacity: 3,
     });
 
     // add two Helm charts to the cluster. This will be the Kubernetes dashboard and the Nginx Ingress Controller
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-kubectl.lit.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-kubectl.lit.expected.json
index 512e0ec0ce350..19d42cb6931d3 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-kubectl.lit.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-kubectl.lit.expected.json
@@ -941,8 +941,7 @@
         "Type": "AWS::AutoScaling::AutoScalingGroup",
         "Properties": {
           "MaxSize": "3",
-          "MinSize": "1",
-          "DesiredCapacity": "3",
+          "MinSize": "3",
           "LaunchConfigurationName": {
             "Ref": "cluster22NodesLaunchConfig184BF3BA"
           },
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-kubectl.lit.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-kubectl.lit.ts
index 16821dc79cfd3..1a5b1c7b5bbe8 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-kubectl.lit.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-kubectl.lit.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class ClusterStack extends TestStack {
     // automatically be mapped via aws-auth to allow nodes to join the cluster.
     this.cluster.addCapacity('Nodes', {
       instanceType: new ec2.InstanceType('t2.medium'),
-      desiredCapacity: 3,
+      minCapacity: 3,
     });
 
     // add an arbitrary k8s manifest to the cluster. This will `kubectl apply`
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-spot.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-spot.expected.json
index 747826f71b065..c73d59116b98f 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-spot.expected.json
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/integ.eks-spot.expected.json
@@ -871,8 +871,7 @@
       "Type": "AWS::AutoScaling::AutoScalingGroup",
       "Properties": {
         "MaxSize": "2",
-        "MinSize": "1",
-        "DesiredCapacity": "2",
+        "MinSize": "2",
         "LaunchConfigurationName": {
           "Ref": "myClusterDefaultCapacityLaunchConfigCF6D4B81"
         },
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/test.cluster.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/test.cluster.ts
index 08a9eb106491d..b3cc25d7822b7 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/test.cluster.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/test.cluster.ts
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ export = {
 
       // THEN
       test.ok(cluster.defaultCapacity);
-      expect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::AutoScaling::AutoScalingGroup', { DesiredCapacity: '2' }));
+      expect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::AutoScaling::AutoScalingGroup', { MinSize: '2', MaxSize: '2' }));
       expect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::AutoScaling::LaunchConfiguration', { InstanceType: 'm5.large' }));
       test.done();
     },
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export = {
 
       // THEN
       test.ok(cluster.defaultCapacity);
-      expect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::AutoScaling::AutoScalingGroup', { DesiredCapacity: '10' }));
+      expect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::AutoScaling::AutoScalingGroup', { MinSize: '10', MaxSize: '10' }));
       expect(stack).to(haveResource('AWS::AutoScaling::LaunchConfiguration', { InstanceType: 'm2.xlarge' }));
       test.done();
     },