Carrot cakes have been a favorite dessert in American baking for years. These cupcakes adds a slight twist with a hint of orange from the juice and peel that is infused into the carrots themselves. The orange, vanilla, and lavender cream cheese frosting tops it all off.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots (from about 4 medium carrots)
- 1 orange, zested
For the Frosting:
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 orange, zested
- 1 tablespoon lavender syrup (if desired)
Directions
- Grate carrots and combine with zest of 1 orange in saucepan. Squeeze
juice from orange over carrots. Saute over medium-low heat until liquid
is mostly gone.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice in bowl.
- Whisk together butter, eggs, brown sugar, sugar, yogurt, and vanilla
in a large bowl, then stir in flour mixture until just combined. Stir
in carrots.
- Divide batter among muffin tin. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pan
halfway through until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake
comes out clean.
- Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- To frost: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and
confectioners’ sugar until smooth; beat in vanilla, orange zest, juice
from orange, and lavender.
