Carrot is one of my most favouuuurite flavours of cake in the world! I love the lightly spiced sponge, packed with sweet carrots, which is topped with a sweet but tangy cream cheese frosting!
These cupcakes are spiced with ginger and cinnamon, to give a subtle warmth. I use light brown Muscovado sugar in my sponge which gives a beautiful caramel flavour and also orange zest which enhances the carrots. I like to add toasted pecans into my cupcake to give a crunchy texture. I have adapted my own recipe for these cupcakes, combining parts of recipes I have found to give the best and most delicious (in my opinion) carrot cupcake!
This bake is extremely easy and fairly quick too! These cupcakes are such a nice treat to bake for family and friends!
This recipe makes 10-12 big cupcakes 🙂 Enjoy! xx
Ingredients:
- 200g self raising flour
- 180g muscovado (or any soft light brown) sugar
- 2 medium-large sized carrots\
- 1 tsp. bicarb of soda
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ginger – I tend to add a bit more because I love it so much!
- 2 large free range eggs
- 150ml vegetable oil/ sunflower oil
- zest of one large orange
- handful of pecans, chopped up
- 100g butter, softened
- 200g cream cheese, I use Philadelphia
- 200g icing sugar
Method:
Start by pre heating your oven to 160°C fan and lining a muffin tin tray with cupcake cases.
Place your chopped pecans in a dry pan over a medium heat, and toast for a couple of minutes until warm. Set to one side. Place your eggs, oil, vanilla and orange zest in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and homogenous. Sift the flour, bicarb of soda and spices into the bowl. Add the muscovado sugar and whisk the mixture. Grate your carrots into the bowl, and add your toasted pecans (I lightly dust mine in a spoonful of flour to make sure they don’t sink to the bottom of my cupcakes).
Equally distribute the cake mix between your cupcake cases, filling each roughly 3/4 full. Pop in the oven for 20-25 mins until golden and springy to the touch!
Leave your cupcakes to cool on a wired rack. In the meantime, place your softened butter in a mixing bowl, and beat until smooth and creamy in consistency. Sift your icing sugar into the butter, and mix well until a stiff buttercream is formed. Mix in your Philadelphia or soft cream cheese and stir well. At the point I like to use an electric whisk to given a fluffy solid consistency to my cream cheese frosting. If your frosting looks at all runny please do not add any more sugar! Instead try using n electric whisk to stiffen up the mixture – if this doesn’t work place it in the fridge for about 30mins to firm up 🙂
Pipe your cream cheese frosting onto your cupcakes, I then decorated mine with some crushed caramelised peanuts!
Eat and enjoy ❤
Sofia xxx
sofiabakes.com 