Carrot Cupcakes...mmmm....

Hands up people who do don't like carrot cake??

I think it is safe to assume that there are more people that like carrot cake, than people who don't! The moist bite you take, packed full of utter scrumptiousness. With a different flavour hitting your taste buds with every bite, tell me - who can resist??!!

  

I love carrot cakes, whether its as layer cakes or cupcakes. It kinda gives me a cosy, warm, hearty feeling, especially with having autumn crept up on us so fast!  And do you know one of the best things about this cake? It tastes even better the next day and the next!! (but don't leave it for too long or there might not be any left for you!)

OK, there are actually two good things about it - the second being that it can be more or less done in one bowl. Adding and stirring the dry ingredients together and then mixing in all the wet ingredients and voila! More or less :-)

One of my favourite cakes is carrot cake and I've had a few recipes that have been very trusty to me. My favourite recipe is the one from Erin from Good Eats n Sweet Treats, who got it from Pastry Queen. Erin starts the blog post saying "The Best Carrot Cake EVER." Now that really did catch my attention and it totally does live up to it's title!

This recipe is a pure delight, with tastes of pineapple (which adds to the cake's moistness), coconut cream, nutmeg and cinnamon. And the proportion of the spices is just right!

Both my girls love this carrot cupcake, not that I need much persuasion when it comes to making them! :-)  I used the cream cheese frosting that I have previously posted but this time with orange zest and 1 tbsp of orange juice - it was gorgeous!

Which one is best looking? I just cant decide!!

 Your comments would be very appreciated! 

 

The recipe below is for a carrot cake but you can easily adapt it to make cupcakes (will make about 36 cupcakes). I baked them for 15-18 minutes.

 

Carrot Cake

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

3 cups all purpose flour

3 cups sugar

1 tbsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1-1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

4 large eggs

2 tbsp vanilla

1-1/2 cups vegetable oil, such as canola or safflower

1-1/2 cups shredded peeled carrots

1-1/2 cups diced fresh pineapple or drained crush canned pineapple (this is one 20 oz. can)

1/2 cup sweetened cream of coconut




Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting
 3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup heaving whipping cream

1/4 cup sweetened cream of coconut

1/2 tsp salt



To Make the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F /180 C / Gas mark 4. Arrange the nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden and aromatic. Set aside to cool.
2. Place one oven rack one-third from the bottom of the oven and the second two-thirds from the bottom. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds, grease with butter, and dust with flour.
3. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut, and nuts in a large bowl.
4. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, oil, carrots, pineapple, and cream of coconut.
5. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Set 2 layers on one rack and the third on the other.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The cakes are done when they are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on racks for 5 minutes, then invert them onto the racks and cool completely, about 15 to 20 minutes.

To Make the Frosting:

1. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or use an electric handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed about 1 minute.
2. Add the whipping cream, cream of coconut, and salt; beat until combined.
3. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread a thick blanket of frosting on top. Add the second layer, spread thickly with frosting, and top with the third layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with an even layer of frosting. If you're feeling energetic and there is frosting left over, use a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip to pipe a decoration around the top rim of the cake.

The cake can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 4 days. Let it cool in the refrigerator about 1 hour before covering, to ensure the frosting has hardened and will not stick to the plastic wrap.
Yield: 12-14 Servings.