Best Carrot Cake Recipe – Carrot Cupcakes

Carrot cake is actually my favourite. We had cupcakes for our wedding and some just had to be carrot cake. But, I have never actually made carrot cake myself! So in my week off work I decided to find the best recipe to use up the leftover carrots from my vegbox. This one was titled the Best Ever Carrot Cake Cupcakes and I think she might be right. They are just so moist. I made them on Saturday and popped into town on the Sunday. As I was parking at work I decide to leave the team some cakes in the fridge for Monday and they were surprised at how well they had kept – still moist due to the pineapple and apple sauce in the batter!

This recipe is adapted from Half Baked.

[callout title=Ingredients for the carrot cakes]

• 4 eggs
• 195ml vegetable oil
• 100g apple sauce
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 200g brown sugar
• 1x432g tin of crushed pineapple – well drained
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 250g plain flour – sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Small pinch of ground cloves
• 3 grated carrots
• 95g chopped pecans

[/callout]

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F/Gas mark 4
• In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce, sugars, pineapple and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
• Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and small pinch of ground cloves.
• Stir in carrots.
• Fold in pecan.
• Line a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers. Fill each liner 3/4 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 min.
• Let cupcakes cool completely. While cooling, prepare frosting.

[callout title=Ingredients for the frosting]

• 113g butter – softened
• 225g cream cheese – softened
• 640g icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Splash of milk
• Toasted pecans, chopped (optional for garnish)

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Method:

• In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
• Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
• Add milk a tablespoon at a time, if needed to get a smooth consistency.
• Top with the toasted chopped pecans.

These carrot cakes are so easy to make and taste delicious. The frosting is just sweet enough and combined with the carrot cake tastes amazing. I believe they also converted a few people that said they didn’t like carrot cake! If you are a regular carrot cake baker don’t be put off by the crushed pineapple and apple sauce – they add so much depth to the recipe.

This is definitely a recipe I will be making again!