CARROT CUPCAKES (TRIED AND TESTED BY ARTI SARIN JAIN)

Carrot Cupcakes : Healthy and not so sweet

Carrot muffins are so popular as they are super healthy. I actually make my cake with wheat flour but for the muffins are use all purpose flour. I have tired so many different recipes for carrot muffins but this one is to die for it has walnuts,raisins and apple cored.
I love baking things that you can use just a paddle and a bowl and no machine ( Kitchen Aid I do love you but using my hands is my favourite option) also knowing that we can do without a blender makes me smile.

Carrot muffins, taste of carrot but they are not sweet and rich. Light and healthy.

Carrot Cupcake with Cream Cheese frosting and fondant carrot

Recipe: Carrot Muffins
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3no. eggs
2 cups carrots, grated
1/2 cup walnuts, crushed
1/2 cup raisins
2 tsp vanilla
1 apple,peeled and cored,chopped (1 3/4 cups).

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degree. Line your muffin/cupcake pans
• Sieve the dry ingredients flour,salt,baking soda and cinnamon.
• In a large bowl combine the sugar,oil and eggs. Mix until they are well combined.
• Stir in the carrots,walnuts,raisins, vanilla and apple.
• Fold in the flour mixture. Don't over beat.
• Spoon the mixture, I like to use an ice scoop to drop my mixture.
• Bake them for 20 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Tip:

• Muffins are for breakfast, normally contain fruit, batter isn't as smooth as cupcakes mixture, are larger than cupcakes. Like in England the cupcake liners are much smaller than a muffin liners. 
• In simple terms cupcakes are iced and muffins aren't.
• Remember to use really good quality carrots your muffins are directly related to the type of carrots you use.
• I made the carrot muffins and iced them with cream-butter cheese frosting the same frosting as the red velvet cupcakes.

The carrot on top the cupcake is made from home made fondant which I will cover in my next blog post. Until then Happy Baking !