easter carrot cupcakes

I had a lot of fun making these! I used an excellent carrot cake recipe which is below. This recipe either makes a 3 tiered cake (using 20cm tins) or 24 cupcakes. I piped the green cream cheese frosting over the cooled cupcakes using the ‘grass/hair’ #233 attachment I got from Amazon. The little bunnies are made using royal icing dyed different colours and then moulded to the different shapes and stuck together with edible glue. These were so popular at work when I sold them for my weekly charity bake sale, I will definitely be doing them again!

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

300g Soft Light Brown Sugar

3 Eggs

300ml Sunflower Oil

300g Plain Flour

1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon, plus extra to decorate

½ tsp Ground Ginger

½ tsp Salt

¼ tsp Vanilla Extract

300g Carrots, grated

100g Shelled Walnuts/ Pecans, chopped, plus extra, chopped and whole, to decorate

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3. Put the sugar, eggs and oil in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Slowly add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until well mixed. Stir in the grated carrots and walnuts with a spoon, then pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. When the cake is cold, spread over the cream cheese icing. Finish with chopped walnuts and a light sprinkling of cinnamon.

Cream cheese frosting

300g icing sugar, sifted

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature

125g cream cheese, cold

Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy- for at least 5 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.