Carrot Cupcakes

Well, I have to admit that I love every cake, cupcake, muffin, whatever thing with carrots.
When I was younger I thought it could not work. Carrots! They were in savory dishes!

A long time ago my mum prepared a nice Carrot Cake with Cream cheese Frosting and Nuts for a Cake Contest and she won the second prize. And I couldn't still believe why people thought carrots were something appropriate in a sweet cake.

But then everything changed.

I started baking and a friend told me he wanted a carrot cake because it was his favorite. And, as I am a nice friend, I made it.

And I ate it. Half of it. In ten minutes.

Now I can say that carrot cakes are my absolute favorite cakes. I always ask for it in cafés or bars, but I must say that the ones I make are the best! haha!

Today I'm going to show you how to make carrot cupcakes. They are decorated with a little bit of chocolate, just to find something different while eating it, but feel free to prepare a nice cream cheese frosting if you prefer them that way.

I don't care about the frosting here because what I am looking for is a nice and smooth flavor. And in this cupcakes there will be nice and warm spices. Of course, is autumn!

You can check this recipe here if you prefer the Spanish Version

Carrot Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS 

· 1 and 1/2 cups (185g) of all purpose flour

· 3/4 cups (150g) of white sugar
· 1/4 cup (50g) of brown sugar

· 1 cup (250g) of soft butter

· 2 eggs
· 3 carrots finely grated

· 1/3 cup (80ml) of milk

· 1 tsp (5ml) of vanilla extract
· 1 tsp (2g) of ground cinnamon

· 1/2 tsp (1g) of ground ginger

· 1/4 tsp (0.5g) of ground nutmeg
· 1 tsp (5ml) of orange zest
· 1 tsp (5ml) of baking powder

· A pinch of salt

METHOD

As always, start preheating your oven to 180ºC or 350ºF.

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients, flour, salt, the spices, and the baking powder. Set that aside
In another bowl beat (by hand, with a hand mixer or a stand mixer) the butter with the two types of sugar until it becomes pale and fluffy. Then add the eggs, one at a time. Add then, the vanilla extract and the orange zest.

Now you have to add the dry ingredients in three times and the milk in two times, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Don't over mix the flour or the cupcakes won't rise up and become hard.

Transfer the batter into the cupcakes tin. You can use paper liners or just grease with butter and flour the holes. you choose.

Put them into the oven for 25 minutes. Check them out with a skewer, insert in the center of one of the cupcakes and if it comes out clean, they are all ready. If not, wait 3 to 5 minutes more.

Once you take them out of the oven, let them cool at room temperature. And prepare your topping. 
Here I make a very ease one. Just melt some chocolate with a splash of cream and pour over the cupcakes once they are cool enough. 

You can let the chocolate set a bit or eat the cupcake right now!

I hope you like them.