These fine-crumbed Orange and Carrot Cupcakes are filled with good-for-you ingredients and topped with a citrus fruit-infused creamy cream cheese frosting.

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Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts: it’s a treat I just can’t resist if I see it in a dessert menu or in a pastry shop. I’ll have it, even if it’s just to test and compare the latest candidate against my mental chart of favorite carrot cakes. I’ve been disappointed by carrot cake many times: the worst offenses in my opinion are a dry crumb and a bland icing. Carrot cakes are packed-with-flavor creations by design; there are simply no excuses to make them boring.

I used to very rarely make carrot cake at home for the simple reason that I’m the only one infatuated with the veggie-filled dessert in my household. So, whenever the craving came (and it came fairly regularly—especially when I was pregnant), I would go out and buy a slice at a local restaurant that makes a pretty good version of it. But then I had a genius idea: make carrot cupcakes and freeze them with the icing on! That way I would be able to defrost one whenever the craving came! So very dangerously handy!

This is how I came to this recipe. The crumb of these carrot cupcakes is somewhat finer than that of a whole carrot cake because I think it eats better in a smaller format. You should know that the cupcakes are filled with good-for-you ingredients and that they’re super flavorful on their own. They could, in fact, easily pass for dreamily tender muffins. Serve them with yogurt and call them breakfast! I won’t judge.

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Orange and Carrot Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Cheese Icing

These fine-crumbed Orange and Carrot Cupcakes are filled with good-for-you ingredients and topped with a citrus fruit-infused creamy cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time:25 mins

Cook Time:25 mins

Total Time:50 mins

Servings 12 cupcakes.

Author Marie Asselin

Ingredients

For the orange and carrot cupcakes:

• ½ cup 125 ml unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup 125 ml whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp 5 ml baking powder
• ½ tsp 2 ml baking soda
• ¼ tsp 1 ml ground ginger
• ¼ tsp 1 ml ground nutmeg
• Pinch kosher salt

2 eggs

• ½ cup 125 ml canola or vegetable oil
• ½ cup 125 ml cane sugar
• ¼ cup 125 ml packed brown sugar
• 7 oz 200 g finely grated carrots (about 1½ cups/375 ml, or 3 medium carrots)
• Finely grated zest and finely chopped pulp of ½ orange or 1 clementine see note
• ¼ cup 60 ml finely chopped walnuts

For the frosting:

• ½ cup 125 ml cream cheese, room temperature
• ¼ cup 60 ml unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups 500 ml powdered sugar
• Pinch kosher salt
• ½ tsp [2 ml] pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp [2 ml] finely grated lemon zest
• ½ tsp [2 ml] finely grated orange zest

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin pan with paper cups.
• For the cupcakes: In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, beat the eggs with the oil until well incorporated. Add the sugars and beat until the mixture is light, about 3 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Add the grated carrots, orange or clementine zest and pulp, and walnuts, and fold to incorporate.
• Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Lower the speed and add the sugar. Once the sugar is incorporated, beat at medium-high speed for a minute or two, or until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla, and zests, and mix to incorporate.
• Use a pastry bag or an offset spatula to decorate the cupcakes with the frosting. Decorate with thinly sliced carrots.
• STORAGE
• Store the frosted orange and carrot cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or up to two months in the freezer.
• SERVING
• Always return the cupcakes to room temperature before serving. To defrost a cupcake, simply leave it to room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes and enjoy.
• MAKE IT DAIRY FREE
• Use a dairy-free buttery margarine instead of butter. To substitute cream cheese, try dairy-free or vegan cream cheese substitutes, such as Daiya’s Plain Cream Cheeze Style Spread or Go Veggie’s Classic Plain Cream Cheese.
• NOTE
• To prepare the orange for this recipe, zest it first, then use a sharp knife to completely remove the rind. Chop the flesh very finely, discarding the pits.
• Recipe Credit: Adapted from Zoë François, Zoë Bakes

Did you make this?

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