Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Orange juice ((or water))
• 45 g Raisins or sultanas
• 2 Eggs (large)
• 135 ml Vegetable oil
• 135 g Light brown sugar
• 165 g Carrot (grated)
• 100 g Self raising flour
• 65 g Wholemeal plain flour
• 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• A pinch of Baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 45 g Pecans (chopped)
• 135 g Butter (softened, unsalted)
• 135 g Icing sugar
• 270 g Full fat cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 12 Fondant carrots (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases

2. 2

   Put the raisins into a bowl and pour the orange juice over them. Leave them to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients

3. 3

   In a mixing bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs and light brown sugar

4. 4

   Add the grated carrot and the raisins, including the orange juice, and mix in

5. 5

   Add the self raising flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder, mixed spice, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda. Mix them in

6. 6

   Add the chopped pecans and stir them in

7. 7

   Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases. As carrot cake batter is quite 'wet' I find it easier to either pour the mixture into the cases with a jug or put it into a piping bag and pipe it into the cases

8. 8

   Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Leave to cool completely

9. 9

   To make the cream cheese frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until smooth. Then mix in the icing sugar until the mixture is smooth

10. 10

    Next, add the cream cheese and the vanilla extract and mix in until the frosting is thick and smooth

11. 11

    Pipe the cream cheese frosting onto each cupcake using a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle. Or spread on with a spoon

12. 12

    Decorate with the fondant carrots, or decorations of your choice

13. 13

    Store in an airtight container in the fridge, eat leftovers within 3 days