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Carrot Cupcakes Recipe

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Carrot Cupcakes Recipe

With the popularity of cupcakes exploding, it goes without saying that we must have a Carrot Cupcake recipe in our repertoire. These carrot cupcakes are moist and delicious, full with the flavors of carrot, apple, ground cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins. While Sylvia Lovegren tells us in her book Fashionable Food that carrot cakes were once glazed with a fruit sauce, today we prefer a smooth and tangy cream cheese frosting. 

Cupcakes can be made with most cake batters, with no adjustments needed except for the baking time. On average, cupcakes will bake in about 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. I love this carrot cupcake recipe because it does not involve pulling out the mixer. All you need are two bowls, one for the wet ingredients and one for the dry ingredients. The two are then mixed together and you are done. The time consuming part is the grating of the carrots and apples. These cupcakes have a moist texture and are full of flavor. Frosting them with a cream cheese icing provides a wonderful contrast of texture and flavor.

Carrot Cakes became popular with the health food craze of the 1970s, although Jean Anderson in her American Century Cookbook says recipes began to appear as early as the 1920s. There are many theories on the origin of this cake, some say it descended from the English's baked carrot puddings or European steamed carrot puddings. Others say it may have come from German carrot breads. Alan Davidson in 'The Oxford Companion to Food' tells us that carrots were used in European sweet cakes since the Middle Ages when other sweeteners were hard to find or just too expensive. In fact, carrots, along with beets, contain more sugar than most other vegetables which might explain their use in desserts.
 

Carrot Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Place paper liners in 20 muffin cups.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. 

In another large bowl whisk the eggs, sugar, and oil until slightly thickened. Fold in the flour mixture until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots, grated apple, chopped nuts, and raisins. Evenly divide the batter between the 20 muffin cups and bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  

Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. With a knife or small metal spatula spread cream cheese frosting on top of each cupcake. Cover and refrigerate the cupcakes until serving time.

Frosting: In the bowl of your electric, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until very smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Makes 20 cupcakes.

Sources:

Anderson, Jean. The American Century Cookbook. Clarkson/Potter Publishers. New York: 1997.

Lovegren, Sylvia. Fashionable Food. MacMillan. New York: 1995.

Carrot Cupcakes:

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 large eggs

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 cup (240 ml) safflower or canola oil

2 cups (210 grams) finely grated raw carrots

1 cup grated apple (approximately 2 large)

1/2 cup (55 grams) pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 cup (100 grams) raisins or currants

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups (220 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 
   

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