CARROT CUPCAKES.
Simple, moist little gems of cupcakes, packed full of flavour! Yum.
Ingredients.
6oz caster sugar
6oz butter
zest from 1 orange
3 eggs
6oz self raising flour
1tsp ground mixed spice
3 medium carrots
4oz sultanas
1/2tsp vanilla extract
200g chocolate chips
90g cream cheese
icing sugar (about 4oz)
Method.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees/180 fan/gas 6. Place paper muffin cases into a 12 hole muffin tray.
Peel the carrots and finely grate. Weigh out the sultanas into the same bowl and put to one side.
Mix together the butter, sugar and orange zest until the mixture turns pale - this can be done with a wooden spoon but a mixer will make this quicker (and easier on your arms!). Beat in the eggs one at a time. If the mixture looks 'curdled' at this point add 1 tbsp of the flour and beat well. Mix in the flour and mixed spice until combined (go easy with the mixing at this point) and then stir in the carrot and sultanas.
Spoon into the muffin cases and bake for 15-20 minutes until brown on top and middle cakes in the tray are 'springy' to the touch. Check the muffins after 15 minutes and rotate the tray if necessary so they brown evenly.
To make the icing simply beat together the cream cheese with enough icing sugar to make a stiff mix. This will be about 4oz but just keep adding if it is still too runny. Beat the mixture to remove any lumps. I tend to pipe this onto the (cooled) cakes but this isn't necessary.
Makes 12 muffins.
