Carrot Cake Cupcakes
I topped them with a cream cheese icing and made little carrots using candy melts. You could make tiny carrots using sugarpaste if you wanted to.
Servings 18
Ingredients
For the cupcakes...
- 225 g unsalted butter softened
- 225 g caster sugar
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 100 g chopped walnuts
- 150 g grated fresh carrots
- 2 tbsp sultanas
For the icing...
- 200 g cream cheese softened
- 175 g icing sugar sieved
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- !For the carrot decorations...
- large handful of orange candy melts
- large handful of green candy melts
Instructions
For the carrot decorations...
- Lay a piece of greaseproof paper on a board.
- Melt the candy melts in separate bowls in the microwave in short bursts or in a bowl over a simmering pan of water.
- Pour the candy melts into two food bags and snip the tip off to form an impromptu icing bag.
- Onto the pre-lined board, pipe an orange cone shape for the carrot, and then top with green to form the leaves.
- Leave to set in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before carefully removing from the greaseproof paper with a pallet knife.
For the cupcakes + icing...
- Preheat the oven to 175C/350F/Gas 4) and place 18 cupcake cases into trays.
- Beat the butter, sugar, flour and eggs in a large bowl with a whisk for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.
- Stir in the spices, walnuts, carrots and sultanas.
- Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases. I use an ice-cream scoop to get even amounts.
- Bake for 20 minutes and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, beat the cream cheese until smooth then gently beat in the icing sugar. Using an electric whisk makes this job easier!
- Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla extract.
- Spread over the top of the cupcakes and decorate with a candy melt carrot in the middle.