Saturday, April 18, 2020

Carrot Cake Cupcakes


For Easter, you have to have carrot cake. You just have to. Even in quarantine. Delicate spice cake riddled with carrots and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting. One of my favs. I didn't want to make a big three-layer cake when there are only three of us in the house, so I halved my regular recipe. This recipe makes about 18 cupcakes. These were possibly the softest cupcakes I have ever made in my life. I would have eaten the entire cake if I did make it... a little regret there, but not as much regret as I would have had eating an entire three-layer cake.

For the cupcakes:
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c unsalted butter (1/2 stick), room temp
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
3/4 c buttermilk
About 8 oz grated carrots
*You can add additional fixins like nuts and/or raisins. I'm a purist. You do you, boo.

1.Preheat oven to 350F and prepare cupcake pans with liners. Grate carrots and set aside. *Can I also just say that the store only had baby carrots which are a bitch to grate. Perrin was happy that he got to have all the nubbins. Perrin is my dog. I feel like you should know this already. Are we even friends?
2. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together oil, butter, and sugars. Add in the yolks of the two eggs- keep the whites separate. Add in vanilla extract.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together egg whites until at stiff peaks. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients- flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
5. Pour 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture and mix to combine.
6. Pour 1/2 of the buttermilk into sugar mixture and combine.
7. Pour another 1/3 of dry.
8. Pour second 1/2 of buttermilk.
9. Pour in the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
10. Slowly fold in the egg whites that were whipped up earlier. *This ensures that the batter will be light and fluffy.
11. Fold in the grated carrots.
12.Distribute into pans and bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
13. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
8 tbsp (1 box) cream cheese, room temp
4 c (ish) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
*splash of milk to thin- this is optional, but I felt like it needed it so I could pipe. 

1. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and cream cheese.
2. Add in powdered sugar slowly, a little at a time.
3. Add in vanilla and salt.
4. Whip until light and fluffy. Add milk if you need to thicken. Add more powdered sugar if it's too thin.
5. Slather on cooled cupcakes. I didn't pipe- I feel like carrot cakes should be rustic. 



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