Bird Bakery Award Winning Carrot Cake Mini Cupcakes Recipes

MINI CARROT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the topping: Peel long ribbons from the carrot using a vegetable peeler, then slice the ribbons lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strands (you'll need about 48).
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Bring the granulated sugar and 3/4 cup water to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot strands and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Arrange the strands in squiggles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until dry, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Make the cupcakes: Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Line two 24-cup mini-muffin pans with paper liners. Put the flour, almonds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground.
• Whisk the grated carrots, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Divide among the mini-muffin cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the confectioners' sugar, cream cheese and butter with a mixer until fluffy. Beat in the lemon juice and almond extract. Pipe or spread on the cupcakes. Top with the candied carrots.

CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the cupcake pans by spraying with nonstick coating and using cupcake liners.
• In a small bowl, pour the hot water over the raisins to rehydrate and set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder and cinnamon, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the corn oil, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla and eggs. Mix well to fully incorporate. Combine the wet and the dry ingredients, stirring to fully incorporate. Drain the raisins and squeeze out the moisture. Fold them in to the batter with the carrots and walnuts.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake pans and bake until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched with a finger, about 20 minutes. Cool.
• To assemble: Core and fill the cupcakes with the Maple Cinnamon Pastry Cream Filling after they have cooled. Frost the cupcakes with the Cream Cheese Frosting using a pastry bag or offset spatula.
• Optional garnish: Using orange and green food color and some marzipan or almond paste, form carrots by rolling a ball of marzipan in the palms of your hand. Use a knife to make marks in the carrots and make a small batch of greens to attach to each carrot.
• The key to making pastry cream is in the set up. It's best to set the stage with everything before you start cooking anything.
• Cut the butter into small pieces and place in a medium mixing bowl with the maple flavoring and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, place 1/2 cup water and some ice and set aside; you will need it to help cool and stop the cooking of the pastry cream.
• In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs and set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 ounces sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon, and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, the remaining 2 ounces sugar and vanilla bean.
• Now that the stage is set, add the sugar-cornstarch mixture to the eggs, mixing really well with a whisk.
• Bring the milk to a boil on the stove, and then temper it into the sugar-egg mixture (pour very slowly while whisking the eggs, so that you slowly raise the eggs' temperature). Put it all back into the pot and back on the stove. Whisking constantly, cook the pastry cream until it boils for at least 30 seconds. It will quickly pass a lumpy stage and then get creamy and shiny. Immediately dump it into the bowl with the butter and mix to incorporate fully. Place the bowl in the prepared ice bath and stir to cool. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
• In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter to soften. Add the cream cheese in bits, about 2 tablespoons at a time. Scrape down the bowl and mix on medium speed until fully combined. Add the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla.

CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the sugar, oil, and vanilla together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the grated carrots, raisins, and walnuts to the remaining flour, mix well, and add to the batter. Mix until just combined.
• Line muffin pans with paper liners. Scoop the batter into 22 muffin cups until each is 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and cook for a further 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack.
• For the frosting, cream the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the sugar and beat until smooth.
• When the cupcakes are cool, frost them generously and serve.