Ingredients:
- 300g soft light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 300ml sunflower oil
- 300g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 300g carrots, peeled and grated
- 100g chopped, roasted hazelnuts
- 1 orange, zest only
- 600g icing sugar
- 100g unsalted butter, softened
- 250g cream cheese
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.
- Put the sugar, eggs and oil in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated (don’t worry if the mixture looks slightly split).
- Slowly add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until well mixed.
- Stir in the grated carrots, chopped hazelnuts and orange zest by hand until they are all evenly dispersed.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared 48 mini muffin or 32 muffin cases.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes for mini cupcakes and 15 – 18 minutes for standard cupcakes, or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched.
- Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting by beating together the icing sugar, butter and cream cheese until it’s light and fluffy.
- When the cakes are cold, ice with the cream cheese frosting and decorate with whatever you fancy.
- (chopped hazelnuts, a sprinkling of ground cinnamon, edible glitter…)
About this post -
Recipe and photo credit by Vintage Feast
