Posted on April 5 2017
Ideal for as a weekend treat – these Easy Cream Cheese Frosted Carrot Pecan Cupcakes are simple to make and OH so delicious! Just look at those little frosted cuties and tell me you don’t want a HUGE bite right now…I know I’m feeling a little peckish at the sight of them.
These cute and EASY Cream Cheese Frosted Carrot Pecan Cupcakes are made with carrots (you don’t say!), brown sugar, eggs, pecans, orange zest & juice, spices, brown flour and baking powder. The cream cheese frosting has cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla essence.
Looking for more ideas for Easter weekend? Make my Coconut Almond Greek Yoghurt Sheet Cake, my Rustic Bumble Berry Crumble Crisp, my Chocolate Chip Raspberry Coffee Cake (sounds like a weird combo but honestly my favourite cake of all time!), my Double Glazed Spanish Puff Pastry Twists or my Chocolate Brownie Cake (Sugar Free).
I’m convinced there are very few people who won’t love these cupcakes!! Even I, who used to be unconvinced about carrot cake, LOVE these Carrot Pecan Cupcakes, and I often make them for birthdays and special occasions as everyone adores them – kids and adults alike. The last time I made these for a birthday pudding party, I don’t think they were on the table for 10 minutes before the plate was clean!
What makes them so delicious is that they are BURSTING with grated carrots and pecans which makes them SO moist and nutty, the brown flour gives them an earthy, muffin-ish quality, while the orange brings a little citrus zing. Topped with the cream cheese frosting…
WELL…Cupcake HEAVEN comes to mind!
They freeze well unfrosted so you can make them ahead of time and frost them on the day you are eating them. I have a batch nestling in the freezer for when my family come to visit over Easter – I’m super excited to be spending Easter with my little nephew and I’m baking all kinds of treats this week for him (I mean everyone!). Aunties are allowed to spoil our nephews and nieces rotten, am I right? We’re allowed!!
Now for the exciting part….the RECIPE. Check it out, I hope you make these Easy Cream Cheese Frosted Carrot Pecan Cupcakes and please do let me know what you think of them!
These cupcakes are SO moist and nutty with a little citrus zing - topped with cream cheese frosting…Perfection.
- FOR THE CUPCAKES:
- 4 eggs separated
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 cups grated carrot
- grated zest & juice of 1 orange
- 1 cup pecans chopped fairly small
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 3/4 cups wholewheat or brown flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 250 g cream cheese
- 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
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TO MAKE THE CAKE:
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Preheat oven to 170°C.
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Whisk together egg yolks and brown sugar until creamy and light in colour.
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Add remaining ingredients except egg whites and fold in until well combined.
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With an electric beater, beat egg whites until stiff, then fold them gently into the cupcake mixture with a metal spoon.
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Place paper cases in a cupcake pan, spoon in the mixture so the cases are 3/4 full, bake for 20 minutes.
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Take the cupcakes out of the cupcake pan and place them on cooling racks until the cupcakes are completely cool.
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TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
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In a mixing bowl, use an electric beater to combine the cream cheese and butter, beat just until creamy and lump free - be careful not to over-beat or the frosting will become too soft.
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Mix in the vanilla essence with a metal spoon, then gradually sieve in the icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time and mix in with a metal spoon.
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Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cupcakes immediately and then serve straight away, or store them in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.
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You can also keep the frosting in a covered container in the fridge until you are ready to frost the cupcakes. The frosting is best used the same day.
