Carrot Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes (or 48 mini-cupcakes)

Author: melinmac

Equipment

mini-muffin pan(s)

Ingredients

CUPCAKES

3 cups shredded carrots (7-9 medium carrots)
2 cups King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Flour
1¼ t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
1/8 t ground cloves
1/2 t ground allspice
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 applesauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup melted butter or ghee
4 eggs
1/2 cup raisins
walnuts for garnish

ICING

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 T butter, softened
2½ cup powdered sugar
2 T heavy cream
1 t vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven and prep the muffin tins – Preheat the oven to 350℉, convection bake setting. Line the mini-muffin tins with paper liners.
Grate the carrots – Grate the carrots. I use a food processor – it's much easier and faster than using a box grater.
Mix together the dry ingredients – Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, allspice, and salt to a bowl, and whisk together.
Beat together the wet ingredients – Add the sugars, applesauce, oil, and butter to a second bowl. Whisk vigorously to dissolve the sugars. Once the sugars are dissolved, whisk in the eggs.
Stir in the dry ingredient mixture, the carrots, and the raisins – Pour 1/3 of the flour mixture into the sugar mixture and stir to combine. Once the flour is absorbed, pour in another 1/3 of the flour mixture and stir to combine. Once the flour is absorbed, finish with the final 1/3 of the flour mixture. Gently fold in the shredded carrots and the raisins.
Fill the muffin tins and bake; mix the icing – Using a 1 1/2" inch scoop, fill the mini-muffin cups about 2/3 full, bake for 20 minutes, then cool. While the muffins are baking, mix the icing ingredients until very smooth and fluffy.
Ice and garnish the cupcakes – When the cupcakes are cooled, top each with a schmear of the icing and a walnut piece. Enjoy!

We love cupcakes, but we especially love Carrot Cupcakes. I’ve been making them for years using the Full Circle brand of gluten-free spice cake mix at BigY. It wasn’t that much of a time-saver to use a mix, but it was reliably moist and tasty. Unfortunately, BigY stopped carrying that product, so I’ve been trying to hit upon a gluten-free spice cake recipe that I can make from scratch that’s just as reliable, just as tasty, just as moist. It has to be moist. We don’t eat cake that often, so when we do, it’s got to be good! It took me a while, but I think I’ve nailed it – my cake testers have approved (a.k.a. Steve and the Igs).

I’ve called for mini-muffin tins in this recipe, but you could just as easily spoon this luscious batter into standard-sized muffin tins – you’ll just have to bake the cupcakes a bit longer. I think the key is the applesauce. Ron uses applesauce in his morning smoothies, so we always have some in the pantry or the frig. We typically have everything else on hand as well, so let’s all eat Carrot Cupcakes!

For breakfast –

who could argue? Cupcakes and coffee. Yes, please.

On a brunch spread –

who will know if you eat your cupcake before your meal?

For a birthday party –

who will know how many years you’re celebrating, because only one candle will fit on the cupcake. As it should be – it’s not about the number, now is it?