Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Many cake batters seem to work out just as well as cupcakes. This carrot cake is no exception. 

It's a real 24 karat recipe ; ) 

Moist, yet not too heavy. 

And just the right amount of nuts and spice, and all things nice! 

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients:

2 cups cake flour
2 tsp bicarb. of soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon, or 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp mixed spice
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups shredded carrots
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecan nuts
1 can crushed pineapple, discard excess juice

Preheat the oven to 175'C
Prepare 2x 12-hole muffin pans with cupcake cases.

In a large bowl:
Sift together flour, bicarb, baking powder and spices.
Mix in sugar.
Make a well, pour in oil, lightly beaten eggs, and vanilla.
Mix.
Add in pineapple, carrots, coconut and nuts.
Mix until smooth.

 Spoon batter into cupcake cases - about 2/3 full.
Bake for +/- 20-25min, until a skewer comes out clean.
Take cupcakes out of the muffin pans, and allow to cool.

(These cupcakes freeze well).

Cream Cheese Icing:
(this cream cheese icing pipes very well!)

100g butter, at room temp
3/4 cup sifted icing sugar
250g Low fat plain cream cheese - use the denser kind (Woolworths, Lancewood, Philadelphia) - chilled
1 tsp lemon zest

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the icing sugar, mix thoroughly.
Add the cream cheese and lemon zest. Blend together.
...and pipe onto the cupcakes when they are cool.

Enjoy!

xxM