Carrot Cupcakes
Maeby loves carrots, especially as her amuse-bouche before dinner. I love carrot cake, but I can never find the time to sit down and eat a whole cake. For those reasons, we both love these cupcakes. They’re simple, look and taste great, and if you plan to save some for later, I find it’s best to ice them just before serving.
If you have the time and are looking to make a statement, you can recreate the 6-inch triple layer carrot cake I made for her 6th birthday using this recipe. The mini cupcakes are just really cute and great for portion control.
FOR DOGS
For the pupcakes:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large eggs
1⁄2 cup water
For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line mini cupcake tin with liners and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine shredded carrots, honey, olive oil, eggs, and water. Add the dry ingredients from the medium bowl and mix until smooth.
Spoon into mini cupcake tin, filling each 2⁄3 of the way. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each one comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool in the pans for about
10-15 minutes.Once the cakes have cooled, remove from the pans and return the cakes to the wire rack to finish cooling.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the honey and mix for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until well combined and smooth.
Frost the cupcakes using a spatula or with a piping bag.
FOR HUMANS
For the cupcakes:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1⁄2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots, lightly packed
For the frosting:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar, to taste
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tin with liners and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Add the grated carrots and mix until well combined.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk or rubber spatula until just combined, making sure not to over mix the batter.
Pour the cake batter into the cupcake tin, filling each 2⁄3 of the way. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each one comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool in the pans for about 20-25 minutes. Once the cakes have cooled, remove from the pans and return the cakes to the wire rack to finish cooling.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and mix for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until well combined and smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Frost the cupcakes using a spatula or with a piping bag.