Carrot Cupcakes
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 8, 2012
Yield
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Before You Begin
If you prefer, you can grind the carrots in a food processor rather than grate them by hand. If you add the optional currants and walnuts, the cupcakes will need to bake an additional 7 to 10 minutes. If you use walnuts, toast a few extra and use them as a garnish. This recipe is easily doubled.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Whisk butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs together in large bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners. Bake until skewer or toothpick inserted in cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes (25 minutes if using currants and walnuts). Cool cupcakes in muffin tin 5 minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire rack. Frost cupcakes with a thick and even layer of frosting. (See recipe for Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting).
- To Make Ahead Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. (They can also be individually wrapped in plastic and frozen in a zipper-lock bag for up to 1 month.) The frosting can be refrigerated for up to 5 days; just allow it to soften at room temperature for 30 minutes before spreading on the cupcakes. Once frosted, the cupcakes are best eaten within 1 day, but leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for several days.
Yield
Makes 12 cupcakesIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
We love carrot cake so much that we decided to turn it into cupcake form. Our regular carrot cake recipe proved too heavy and oily when made in cupcake tins. To lighten our carrot cake recipe, we swapped out the oil for butter, which made cupcakes that were significantly more cakey and fluffy. As for the topping, the heavy cream cheese frosting we love with our carrot cake overpowered the delicate texture of our new, lighter carrot cupcakes. We found that first combining the butter and confectioners’ sugar, and then adding the cream cheese one piece at a time gave us more control of the frosting’s texture, ultimately producing a pleasing, fluffy topping for our Carrot Cupcakes.
Before You Begin
If you prefer, you can grind the carrots in a food processor rather than grate them by hand. If you add the optional currants and walnuts, the cupcakes will need to bake an additional 7 to 10 minutes. If you use walnuts, toast a few extra and use them as a garnish. This recipe is easily doubled.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Whisk butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs together in large bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners. Bake until skewer or toothpick inserted in cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes (25 minutes if using currants and walnuts). Cool cupcakes in muffin tin 5 minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire rack. Frost cupcakes with a thick and even layer of frosting. (See recipe for Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting).
- To Make Ahead Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. (They can also be individually wrapped in plastic and frozen in a zipper-lock bag for up to 1 month.) The frosting can be refrigerated for up to 5 days; just allow it to soften at room temperature for 30 minutes before spreading on the cupcakes. Once frosted, the cupcakes are best eaten within 1 day, but leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for several days.
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