I know there are HUNDREDS!!! of Carrot Cupcake recipes out there. But this one has so many flavor profiles that I thought they would compete with each other but it was quite the opposite.
Firstly, I substituted some of the sweetness with apple sauce for greek yogurt and this provided additional moisture and a tangy effect when you first bite into the cupcake. I also feel that the reaction between the brown sugar and the yogurt provided great color in the final baking process.
Secondly, I am an avid lover of Fresh Ginger Root, therefore, I thrive at any opportunity I get to cook with or add it to a baked good item. Traditional Cream Cheese Frostings call for butter, powdered sugar and cream cheese beaten until fluffy and spreadable. To add another dimension to this frosting, I added chopped Pecans and a small quantity of fresh Ginger root as it can be somewhat potent. Both of the latter ingredients are totally optional if you want to stick to a regular cream cheese frosting.
- A Few Tips for Preparing the Frosting
- Cream Cheese and Butter need to be at room temperature before whipping
- Place your mixing bowl in the freezer 5 minutes ahead of time; this sounds weird but it’s a pastry hack that will keep your “Fat” products from becoming runny during the whipping process
- Chop the majority of your Pecans into fine pieces so it is easier to chew and pipe during decoration
- Use a wider size star tip design when piping to avoid pieces being stuck
I strongly suggest making head two batches of this recipe. One dozen will not make it through an office potluck, birthday party or the next family gathering.
Carrot Cupcakes with Ginger Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting
Author: Lonielle Freeman, RDN/LDN
Course: Dessert/ Baked Goods
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c vegetable or canola oil
1/4 c plain greek yogurt
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c cups Finely grated carrots
Frosting:
8 ounces of Cream cheese, softened at room temperature
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened room temperature
2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp. Fresh Ginger, grated (optional)
1/4 c Pecans, chopped (optional)
Directions
To prepare Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin and set aside.
- In a large bowl sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, mix oil, greek yogurt, brown sugar, granulated sugar and eggs until well combined. Carefully add dry ingredients to wet ingredients with a spatula, scraping down sides of the bowl. Stir in carrots.
- Using a measuring cup, evenly divide the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake in oven for 18-20 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool while you prepare the frosting.
To prepare the Frosting:
- In chilled mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until well combined about 2-3 minutes. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until semi soft consistency is achieved. Add chopped pecans and grated ginger if desired.
- Option 1) Fill piping bag with large sized star tip and pipe evenly the top of each cupcake in a swirl patter. Option 2) Spread the frosting on top of each cupcake with a metal spatula about an inch thick.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 | |
| Servings: 12 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 157 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 7g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat 0.8g | 4% |
| Cholesterol 31mg | 10% |
| Sodium 151mg | 7% |
| Total Carbohydrate 21.6g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.6g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 12.9g | |
| Protein 2.5g | |
| Vitamin D 3mcg | 15% |
| Calcium 23mg | 2% |
| Iron 1mg | 4% |
| Potassium 80mg | 2% |
Recipe analyzed by  |
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