Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Wonderfully spiced and moist carrot cakes with a tangy cream cheese swirl and plenty of walnuts. Yum!

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Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Yields
12

For the cupcakes

90ml oil (neutral flavour such as vegetable)

80ml buttermilk

50g Tate & Lyle caster sugar

75g Tate & Lyle light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

210g carrots, grated

190g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp cloves

1 tsp cardamom (or ½ tsp if grinding fresh)

70g walnuts, broken into chunks

 

For the cream cheese icing and decoration

150g unsalted butter, at room temp

150g Tate & Lyle icing sugar

325g full fat cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

40g walnuts, chopped

 

Instructions

 

For the cupcakes 

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with large cupcake/muffin liners.
  2. Mix oil, buttermilk, sugars, vanilla and egg in a large jug. Add in the carrots and stir to combine. Set aside.
  3. In a separate large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt and spices. Add in the dry ingredients and fold to combine. Tip in the broken walnuts and fold in.
  4. Spoon or scoop the cake mixture evenly between the cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes until springy to touch and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

For the icing and decoration 

 

  1. Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl for at least 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add in the sugar and vanilla and beat again until fluffy.
  2. Soften the cream cheese a little with a spoon or spatula, then add it to the buttercream and beat to combine. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
  3. Pipe swirls of cream cheese icing over each of the cupcakes, then decorate with some extra chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of extra cinnamon if you wish. Enjoy!