I have yet to make any fall-ish recipes this year but I have a notebook and brain full of fun planned out for as soon as I figure out my oven. The first batch of test chocolate chip cookies was a horrific failure. Better luck with the one in the oven now. I hope.
Also, the cabinets in this new kitchen open backwards from my old one, which doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal, but it has lead to no end of frustration every single time I try to open a cabinet. AND, my fridge is ridiculously tiny. I didn’t even know they made them that small in regular houses. It’s absurd. I think I’m going to have to curb my wholesale shopping. Bummer.
But the good news is that the lighting is better here and the stove is gas, which I much prefer. So not a total loss.
These carrot cake cupcakes are not necessarily a new recipe, but the frosting is new and last time I wrote about them, I decorated them as bunny butts. And this is the final batch of cupcakes in the Cupcakes-Across-America series. Darn. All out of cupcakes. I’ll have to work on that. I’ve been visiting a lot of cupcake shops on the trip and have tried about a dozen new flavors this week (all in the name of research, of course) and I’m hoping to whip some new stuff up soon. This not baking thing is difficult for my mental state. And Husband’s sweet tooth is acting up again…
Anyway, here is the “Carrot Cake of Legend” or “Carrot Crack Cake”, since Husband can’t decide what to call them…
- 2 1/2 C flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 large eggs, beaten until frothy
- 1 C oil
- 1 C pure cane white sugar
- 1 C pure cane brown sugar
- 1/2 C buttermilk
- 8oz (one small can) crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/2 C shredded carrots
- 1 C chopped walnuts
- 1/3 C shredded coconut
- zest of one orange
- Preheat oven to 350
- Beat the eggs until frothy. Add sugars, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and pineapple. Stir until fully combined.
- Gradually sift in dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix until completely incorporated.
- Stir in carrots, walnuts, coconut, and orange zest.
- Pour into prepared cake/muffin pan. I use 1/4 C of batter for each cupcake.
- Bake at 350° for 25 minutes (for cupcakes) or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan or a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- 12oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2/3 C superfine sugar (or regular white sugar sifted many times)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 3/4 C heavy cream
- Whip cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract on medium speed until creamy.
- Gradually pour in the cream and increase speed to high. Continue to whip until still peaks form. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and garnish cupcakes as desired. I rolled them in coconut, but that’s only because my decorating skills are seriously lacking.
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