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Orange and carrot cupcakes

If you like carrot cakes, you'll love these easy orange and carrot cupcakes! Carrots are naturally sweet, so  you'll need less sugar in the batter, making these little cupcakes more healthy than the usual ones. You can easily decorate them for special occasions - for Easter with mini chocolate eggs or fondant shapes; at Christmas with golden edible stars; for Valentine's or Mother's day with flower or heart shaped sparkles; and so on!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Cuisine: British
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 150 g wholemeal flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 Tbsp unrefined sugar
  • 3 Tbsp honey or agave syrup
  • zest of half an orange
  • 150 g carrots finely grated
  • 30 g walnut kernels chopped
  • 100 ml vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • Orange cream:
  • zest of half an orange
  • 150 g natural cream cheese
  • 1-2 Tbsp honey or agave syrup

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and spices, then add the carrots and orange zest.
  3. In another bowl lightly beat the egg, then add the oil and honey.
  4. Add the egg mixture to the flour, combine, then fold in the walnuts.
  5. Spoon the batter into silicone muffin shapes or a greased& lined muffin tin.
  6. Bake for about 25 minutes until light brown. Allow the muffins to cool on a wire rack.
  7. Meanwhile: mix the cream cheese with honey and add the orange zest. Spoon this mixture into a small freezer bag, cut off a corner tip, and push the cream through onto the top of the muffins, making a nest shape.
  8. Garnish with chopped walnuts or decorate them with chocolate, fondant or marzipan motives (eg, carrots, eggs, bunny for Easter).