Carrot Cupcakes with Orange Icing, Dessert Recipe #1

My first week of dessert-making went great! I made Carrot Cupcakes with Orange Icing from a recipe I found in Gourmet magazine… and it didn’t even have a picture.

Why did I choose this as my first dessert challenge? Well, besides chocolate, which reigns supreme among sweet things and most things for me, I adore holiday spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and clove. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is actually a very, very close second… right below all things chocolate.

So, this recipe is a simple, smaller version of carrot cake with some educational, culinary opportunities. First, the icing is more of a glaze, which I’ve never made before. Consisting of only sugar, orange juice and orange zest, it is amazingly delicious and flavorful. Not the usual thick stack of sugary, buttery cupcake icing, it just coats the cake adding moistness and tangy sweetness. The flecks of orange zest are my favorite part because it makes the cupcake look so festive and happy.

Second: Candied Carrot Curls. I have never candied anything, and certainly didn’t realize it was so easy and creatively satisfying. Within half an hour, I had perfect curly, carrot cupcake decor, worthy of a bakery on Bleeker Street. The curls that didn’t make it off the baking sheet were crumbled and sprinkled on the cakes, adding an extra flavorful crunch to each bite.

Of course, I did alter the recipe a bit.  I added 2-3 tablespoons of ground flax seed and a 1/4 cup of raisins. Why? Because they were in my refrigerator and they are good for you. I also love the chewiness of raisins in oatmeal, cakes and cookies

Summary: This is a delicious, fun and very easy recipe to make, even with the candied carrot curls. However, the next time I make these cupcakes I will add a tiny bit of crushed walnuts or pecans and a small amount of applesauce to compensate for the extra dry ingredient.

Next stop… Chocolate tart….

Carrot Cupcake Ingredients

• 4 medium carrots
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• *2 tablespoons ground flax seed optional
• *1/4 – 1/2 cup raisins optional
• * handful of crushed walnuts or pecans optional
  

For icing

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners/powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Equipment: a muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups; 12 paper liners
Garnish: Candied Carrot Curls

Make cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Line muffin cups with paper liners.

Coarsely grate enough carrots to measure 2 cups using large holes of a box grater.

Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl.

Mix together oil, eggs, brown sugar, grated carrots, and vanilla in a large bowl, then stir in flour mixture until just combined.

Divide batter among muffin cups and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake; it should come out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on rack, about 1 hour more.

Make icing:
Sift confectioners sugar into a bowl. Whisk in zest and 2 tablespoons juice until smooth. If icing is too thick, add more juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. Dip top of each cupcake into icing, letting excess drip off. (Be sure to do this or you will have a sticky mess) Place a carrot curl on top of each and let icing set, about 15 minutes. Crush up imperfect carrot curls and use as sprinkles.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine, Nov. 2007