I made these Mini Carrot Spiced Cupcakes almost 6 months ago, and promised to make them again without the nuts. I love nuts, but in these little cupcakes, I just thought a smoother texture throughout would work better. Today is my mom’s birthday so it was the perfect opportunity to make mini-cupcakes again, the perfect, travel on the train, going to a restaurant, birthday cake. No extra plates, knives, or forks needed, and her friends loved them. Here is my tweaked recipe:
*photos updated on 11/30/10
Mini Carrot Spice Cupcakes
~makes about 30-50 mini cupcakes*
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cups white sugar
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup packed shredded apple
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
cream cheese frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
*This recipe makes 30 to 50 mini cupcakes which is a really big range and I found that it depends on the muffin tin I used. There are smaller mini cupcakes and bigger mini cupcakes…This will also effect the amount of frosting you’ll need. If you get closer to 30 cupcakes, use the frosting recipe as is. If you get about 50 cupcakes, you’ll need almost double the cream cheese frosting recipe.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray mini muffin pan with non-stick (Pam).
2. Beat eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Mix in the oil and vanilla, until completely blended. Mix in carrots and apple.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until even. Do not over mix.
4. Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 12 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before un-molding. Cool completely before frosting.
6. To make frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and beat in confectioner’s sugar gradually. Once all the sugar is blended in, increase the speed back to medium and beat for 5 minutes.
7. Frost cooled cupcakes.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!
Update on 11/30/10: I made these again to bring to a Thanksgiving dinner and this time I made both regular sized and minis. For regular size, bake for about 15 minutes, then toothpick test.
yes.. maybe that it..
good post
Roland, that it! that it!
what perfect little morsels! and there’s no way i would cut the frosting amount in half–the more, the merrier in my mouth! 🙂
Grace, Lon always eats my extra frosting. =)
Today I had the most interesting cupcake it was carrot, pineapple, walnut. I was prepared to dislike expecting chunks of pineapple, but I couldn’t discern any pineapple at all.
K&S;, pineapple in carrot cake is actually really common. People who are allergic always have to look out for that.
A few notes / updates since I just re-made this recipe. 1/2 cup of shredded apple is very roughly equivalent to a medium Granny Smith apple. 2 cups of shredded carrot is very roughly equivalent to six carrots (the skinny-ish kind, not the giant ones). When you bake these, you’re better off using cupcake liners, easier clean up. Also, only fill the cups about 2/3rds of the way.