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Baking Championship Flair Carrot Cake Cupcakes

dneumann1972

As an author, I always remind people to keep a paper and pencil handy—you never know when inspiration will strike. I've lost count of how many times I've stopped what I was doing to jot down an idea. But even I couldn't have predicted the moment when my bedside notebook and pencil would become the heroes of my latest culinary creation.


There I was, lying in bed, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets and surrounded by Kleenex, battling what felt like the cold of the century. My "sea lion" cough echoed through the house, a soundtrack to the endless marathon of the Food Network's Holiday Baking Championship playing on the TV. Between naps and sniffles, I'd wake up just in time to catch some incredible baker pulling off another show-stopping carrot cake creation.


My NyQuil-fueled dreams were filled with visions of carrot cake—cupcakes with swirls of cream cheese frosting, ice cream sandwiches with soft carrot cookies, and even handheld pies bursting with spiced carrot filling. So, am my energy starts to return, I turned my half-asleep notes into a few new recipes worthy of any Carrot Cake loving porcupine.


Ingredients

  • 2 C (250g) all-purpose flour

  • 1 ½ t baking powder

  • 1 t baking soda (sifted)

    • I have never done this before but it makes sense to break up any lumps

  • 1 t ground cinnamon

  • 1 t ground nutmeg

  • 1 t fresh chopped ginger

  • This was a big change. "Fresh"

  • ½ t salt

  • ¾ C granulated sugar

  • ¾ C brown sugar

  • 3 Eggs

  • ¾ C vegetable oil

  • 1 t pure vanilla extract

  • 1 ½ C grated carrots

  • ½ C crushed pineapple, drained

  • ½ C (40g) unsweetened shredded coconut

  • ½ C (60g) chopped walnuts

  • 8 ounces (225g) cream cheese, softened

  • ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened

  • 4 cups (500g) powdered sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Pinch of salt

  • Toasted Coconut

    • This was a tip I cannot wait to try!

  • Candied Pineapple

    • This was a tip I cannot wait to try!


Directions

1.        Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2.        Mix together in a medium bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.

3.        Combine in a large bowl: granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.

4.        Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring just until completely combined.

5.        Fold in carrots, pineapple, coconut and walnuts.

6.        Divide batter among liners and bake 20 to 25 minutes.

7.        For cream cheese frosting: beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add vanilla.

8.        Once cupcakes are cool, frost with frosting and add toasted coconut and candied pineapple as garnish.

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