It’s Easter weekend, and time to prepare the traditional Ricketts feast, which includes plenty of sweets! A staple over the past several years has been Carrot Cake Cupcakes adorned with cream cheese icing and a pretty candy-coated chocolate. There’s nothing like homemade carrot cake moistened with shredded carrots, apple and pineapple, then flavored with an aromatic blend of spices including cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Making cupcakes allows for the perfect portion and also makes it easy for everyone to take some home for later!
CAKE INGREDIENTS
4 Eggs
3/4 C Vegetable Oil
1/2 C Fresh Apples (puréed)
1 C White Sugar
1 C Brown Sugar
1 (8 oz) Can Crushed Pineapple (well-drained)
2 Tsp Vanilla
2 C All-purpose Flour
2 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1 C Love
3 C Grated Carrots
OPTIONAL ADD-INS (CHOOSE ONE OR ALL)
1 C Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
1 C Chopped Dates
1 C Raisins
1 C Flaked Coconut
ICING INGREDIENTS
1/4 C Butter, softened
1 (8 oz) Block Cream Cheese, softened
4-5 C Confectioners Sugar
2 Tsp Vanilla
2-3 Tbsp Milk or Cream (Vanilla Coffee Creamer works well too!)
DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat I oven ton 350 F. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple purée, sugars, pineapple and vanilla. In a separate bowl, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and blend with a whisk until spices are completely incorporated. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well blended. Stir in carrots and any of the optional add-ins, and don’t forget the Love!
Using an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners. The ice cream scoop will give you the perfect 3/4 fill!
Bake in pre-heated oven 18-20 minutes. Let cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
In the meantime, prepare the icing in a large mixing bowl. Cream together butter, cream cheese, vanilla and 1 Tbsp milk/cream. Slowly add confectioners sugar until completely blended. Add additional cream/milk as necessary to get the icing to the right consistency
Decorate tops of cupcakes for whatever the occasion calls for. Suggestions include seasonal candies, dates, pecans, toasted coconut, etc. This recipe makes 2 DZ standard sized cupcakes, or makes (2) 9″ Rounds, or a 9 x 13 Cake Pan.
Oh, yeah, in case you’re wondering, my amazing husband Fred designed and made the display stand for Steelite International, the company I am a Senior Product Manager for by day, when I’m not baking and blogging!
