Carrot Cupcakes

Name: Carrot Cupcakes
Yield: 6
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 75 g Grated carrot (weight after peeling and grating); 90 g Caster sugar (normal or golden); 90 g Vegetable or sunflower oil; 1 Egg; 75 g Self raising flour (white or wholemeal); ¼ tsp Baking powder; ¼ tsp Bicarbonate of soda; ½ tsp Ground cinnamon; 50 g Cream cheese (e.g. Philadelphia - full or ½ fat); 35 g Unsalted butter (soft)*; Approx. 300 g Icing sugar; Few drops Vanilla extract (optional); Or a squeeze Orange / lemon juice (optional)

Love Baking Over a year ago 1,351 views

Serves: 6

Ingredients

75 g Grated carrot (weight after peeling and grating)
90 g Caster sugar (normal or golden)
90 g Vegetable or sunflower oil
1 Egg
75 g Self raising flour (white or wholemeal)
¼ tsp Baking powder
¼ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp Ground cinnamon
50 g Cream cheese (e.g. Philadelphia - full or ½ fat)
35 g Unsalted butter (soft)*
Approx. 300 g Icing sugar
Few drops Vanilla extract (optional)
Or a squeeze Orange / lemon juice (optional)

Accompaniment

Description

A really simple, very moist carrot cake.

Method

1
Heat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a muffin tin with 6 paper cases.
Grate the carrots - the easiest way is in a food processor with a fine grater attachment, if you have one.
In a food processor (no need to rinse after grating the carrots - just tip them into a separate bowl), food mixer or with an electric hand whisk, whisk together the sugar, oil and egg for about 30 seconds until smooth. Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon, add the grated carrot and beat again.
Divide the mixture between the paper cases (each one will be about 3/4 full).
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack.
Serve plain, dusted with icing sugar, or with icing**.
For the cream cheese icing, beat the cheese and butter together, then add about 100 g icing sugar and beat again, followed by another 150 g icing sugar with the vanilla extract or orange / lemon juice if using. Beat for at least 3 minutes until really smooth and fluffy, adding more icing sugar if needed, depending on the consistency that you want.

Chef's Tips

* For piping, I find the butter is required but I also often make it without, and spread / drizzle on, depending on the consistency.
**My favourite is cream cheese icing, but any buttercream, or a simple 'glace' icing made with icing sugar and a little water / lemon juice / orange juice all work well also.

Double the recipe for an 18-20cm cake tin (grease and line the tin, and bake for about 30 minutes), or for 12 cupcakes.
Because they are so moist, they keep really well in a tin for at least 4 days, if needed. Also freeze well.
Variation - add a handful of raisins, chopped walnuts or both to the recipe for added texture.