Best Bites: Carrot Cake Garden Cupcakes
By Donna Erickson
Sprout Up Carrot Cake Garden Cupcakes
Carrots are sprouting up all over! While seeds have already germinated and burst through the soil in our vegetable garden, fresh green carrot tops pop out of the frosting of the whimsical carrot cake cupcakes on our kitchen counter, too.
Thinking "outside the recipe," my friends and I came up with a lighter and more contemporary version of our tried-and-true carrot cake recipes. Lemon zest is added to the batter, and the quantity of confectioner's sugar in the traditional cream-cheese frosting is greatly reduced. And, of course, the whimsy of the carrot decoration is definitely "the icing on the cake."
Bake this batch of 24 cupcakes with your kids for a yummy dessert treat, share them with a few neighbors, or leave several unfrosted for a morning or afternoon snack with a cup of coffee or glass of cold milk. They freeze well, too.
PHOTO CREDIT: Donna Erickson
CARROT CAKE GARDEN CUPCAKES
Yields 24 cupcakes
Ingredients for Cupcakes:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups canola oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, well-drained
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
Ingredients for Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
Orange food coloring
Carrot-top greens or sprigs of parsley
Preheat oven to 350 F. Let kids fill muffin tins with 24 paper liners. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil and eggs together. Add vanilla.
In another bowl, the kids may measure and sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add these dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir well.
Stir in the carrots, drained pineapple, raisins, walnuts and zest. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
For the frosting, combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Slowly add confectioner's sugar and continue beating until smooth.
For the carrot decoration, stir together 3-4 tablespoons of frosting with orange food coloring. Spoon into a sandwich-sized plastic bag. Clip off a tiny bit from a bottom corner of the bag and gently squeeze the frosting out in a zigzag fashion to form a carrot shape on the frosted cupcakes. Top with fresh carrot-top greens or parsley.
Extra Tip: To give an earthy taste to the walnuts, toast them on a tray in an oven set to 350 F for 6-8 minutes. Cool, then chop.
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Donna Erickson creates relationships and community through food and fun. Find more to nourish and delight you at www.donnaerickson.com.
(c) 2024 Donna Erickson
Distributed by King Features Synd.