I’ve been looking for an excuse to make these for ages, after picking up the right icing tip when we were over in the Okanagan in early summer. And then a birthday came along.
They’re even tastier than you think they might be (they were chocolate cupcakes underneath… white fondant for the eyes… melted chocolate for the pupils…. and of course tasty butter icing for the fur).
Carrot cupcakes were made for Easter dinner – I combined two recipes from the Baked in Maine website, and am still fighting the urge to call them Carrot Cake Cupcakes, which is just a little redundant.
PS. They are tasty
The Carrot Cupcakes (via bakedinmaine)
1 20-oz (567gm) can crushed pineapple
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup non-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup canola or light olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins and/or
1/2 cup wild blueberries (optional)
zest from 1 lemon or orange (optional)
2 cups grated carrots (4-6 medium)
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9″X 13″ baking pan or cupcake tins with cooking spray
* Drain the pineapple in a colander or sieve set over a bowl, pressing out the juice. Reserve the drained pineapple and 1/4 cup of the juice.
* Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
* Whisk eggs, sugar, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and the 1/4 cup pineapple juice in a large bowl until blended.
* Stir in pineapple, (raisins and/or blueberries) carrots, 1/4 cup coconut and zest.
* Add the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until blended.
* Stir in the nuts.
* Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
* Bake the cake until the top springs back when touched lightly and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cupcakes take 20 minutes or so. Let it cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting (via bakedinmaine)
3/4 lb cream cheese = 340gm
1/2 lb butter = 227gm
1 lb icing sugar = 454gm
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
dash lemon juice/zest
* Whip the butter and cream cheese together in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer) until creamed.
* Gradually add powdered sugar to the mixture and scrape down the bowl as needed.
* Add the vanilla and lemon, and mix on high speed until it looks light and fluffy, like whipped cream.
* The frosting needs to be used right away, stored in the refrigerator, or frozen.
These are the Divine Chocolate Cupcakes with Best Buttercream Frosting from Baked in Maine. They’re a lot less sweet than the M&M cupcakes. Which means you can eat more. (Also I’m getting the hang of doing the icing, hoorah)
The cupcakes
* 2 cups flour (sub. 1 cup whole wheat flour)
* 2 cups sugar
* 4 heaped Tbsp cocoa
* 226gm butter
* 1 cup boiling water
* ½ cup buttermilk (I make my own by adding lemon juice to milk)
* 2 eggs
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp vanilla essence
Pre-heat oven to 180oC (350oF).
1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in cocoa.
3. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, remove from heat. Pour over the flour mixture, and stir lightly to combine.
4. In a measuring cup, add beaten eggs, pour the buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla. (not sure why the baking soda is added with the wet ingredients)
5. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into your pan and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until done).
Best Buttercream Icing
* 85gm butter, softened
* 2 2/3 cups icing sugar
* 2/3 cup cocoa
* 5-6 tablespoons milk
* 2 tsp vanilla extract
1. Beat the butter in a medium mixing bowl.
2. With the mixer on low, add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, scraping sides of the bowl often.
3. Add vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.
These are M&M cupcakes – based on the recipe from Starry Moon Cupcakes.
I’m getting the hang of this cupcake thing – this mixture turned out a little stiff, and I ended up with small cupcakes and a LOT of icing. Still tasty. VERY sweet.
M&M cupcakes
2 cups of flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup melted butter (about 90g)
2/3 cup milk
2 free range eggs slightly beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla
baking M&Ms (I added a slightly random amount)
Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl, stir to combine.
In a separate bowl combine melted butter, milk, eggs and vanilla.
Pour into the dry mix, stir till combined, then add your M&Ms.
Bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes or until skewer is clean.
Butter Cream Frosting
200gm butter at room temp
3 cups icing sugar
2-3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
Cream the butter, sift in the icing sugar, mix well. Add essence, then just enough milk to get the right consistency (I didn’t add enough). Top with regular M&Ms.