Wednesday 18 April 2018

Carrot Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.



Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Guys, I'm in love with oil-based cakes.
It all started with the hummingbird cake.
The cake batter had no butter in and instead was bound together with oil resulting in a very soft sponge. If you're someone whose cakes always turn out dry, you need to try oil-based sponges. They remain soft even after a few days in the fridge.
The next obvious oil-based cake that came to mind for me to try was a carrot cake. I've shared a simple recipe for it in the past but this time wanted to make mini versions to celebrate Spring. The cupcakes turned out amazing but the weather is still terrible. So grey and depressing today! Although there is promise of a heatwave to come.


The cake batter comes together very easily and is packed with carrots and lots of spice. I kept mine plain but feel free to add in nuts and raisins, if you prefer. Walnuts are traditional in a carrot cake but I bet pecans would be great too just as they were in the hummingbird.

A cream cheese frosting is the usual accompaniment to carrot cake. The tang from the cheese marries well with the soft spiced sponge. I was going to go for the standard frosting but at the last minute decided to up the flavour even more and make one with brown butter.

Cream cheese frosting has butter in it anyway so why not get even more flavour for our calories by browning that butter. Guys, the result is an icing that is almost toffee-like. If there is one cupcake that you bake this weekend, let it be this one. P.S. This same recipe would make a great sandwich/layer cake.

Oil-Based Cakes, previously: hummingbird cakes // wholemeal brown sugar banana bread // polish apple cake 

A Simple List of Ingredients:

For the Carrot Cupcakes:
1. Plain Flour
2. Ground Cinnamon
3. Ground Cloves
4. Ground Nutmeg
5. Salt
6. Bicarbonate of Soda
7. Baking Powder
8. Carrots
9. Eggs
10. Caster Sugar
11. Soft Light Brown Sugar
12. Vegetable Oil

For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
1. Butter
2. Icing Sugar
3. Salt
4. Vanilla
5. Cream Cheese

Bismillah, let's begin!

Before we start baking our cupcakes, we're going to prepare the brown butter for our frosting. Into a light coloured pan (so we can see the butter brown), place 90g Butter.


Let it melt completely.


Once the butter has melted, let it cook until it bubbles.


It will bubble noisily as it cooks.


But once it starts browning, it will go quiet but still be bubbly. Let it cook for a few seconds.


Then, immediately pour the butter into a bowl - scrape out the brown bits too because that's where all the flavour is.


Let the butter cool for 10 minutes before covering and freezing until solid.


Now, we can bake the cupcakes. Pre-heat the oven to 180C or Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases.


First, mix together the dry ingredients starting with 180g Plain Flour.


To it, add:
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Ground Cloves
1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder


Stir everything together and set aside until we need it.


Next, let's prep the carrots so that they're ready when we need them. I used about 2 and 1/2 Carrots.


You'll want to slice the tops and bottoms off, peel them and then weigh them until you have 225g Carrots.


Grab the grater and get grating!


The carrots are ready for when we need them!


Quick recap: the brown butter is freezing, dry ingredients are mixed, carrots have been grated and now we work on the eggs, sugar and oil.


Take a large bowl and crack in 2 large Eggs.


Add in 150g Caster Sugar.


And, 50g Soft Light Brown Sugar.


Whisk the eggs and sugars with an electric hand whisk until well combined and pale.


Finally, measure out 180ml Vegetable Oil.


Gradually add the oil to the mixture, whisking as you go.


Until all the oil has been added and you have a thick, smooth mixture.


Time to bring all 3 bowls together!


Sieve the flour mixture into the oil mixture.


Using a spatula, stir the dry mix in. It will look like it won't mix in, but keep mixing and it will.


Throw in the grated carrots.


Mix in the carrots. They may seem like a lot but I promise, they're not.

Divide the batter between the cases. 

Bake the cakes at 180C or Gas 4 for 20-25 minutes until ...


... a toothpick inserted into the centre of the largest cake comes out clean with no wet batter on it.


Let the cakes cool in the tin for 5 minutes then on a wire rack until completely cold.



Meanwhile, let's make the frosting. First job? Grab that brown butter from the freezer.


Heat it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until a little soft. Mine went a little too far but worked out in the end.


Put the brown butter into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute.


Pop a sieve over the bowl and sift in 150g Icing Sugar and a Pinch of Salt.


Also, drop in 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla.


Beat well for 5 minutes.


Finally, take 180g cold Cream Cheese and gradually add a tablespoon to the frosting, beating well after each addition.


Once the cream cheese is in, beat the whole thing for another few minutes until it's light and well whipped.


Guys, this frosting is amazing. Thanks to the brown butter, it has a butterscotch flavour which reminds me of these sweets. But it's not too sweet because of the tangy cream cheese.


Put the frosting into a piping bag fitted with your favourite nozzle. I always get asked about these bags and nozzles. The piping bags are these ones and the nozzle set was also from Amazon but I can't find it on their site.




Pipe the frosting onto the cool cupcakes. Piping is not one of my strong points but the one advice I have is to keep practicing. You'll get there and so will I!


The cupcakes are great as they are but I finished mine with a grating of Orange Zest on top.




These cupcakes are best eaten at room temperature. I hope you love them!


Carrot Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.

a Spring-time classic with a twist to make it even better!

Prep Time: About 30 minutes.
Bake Time: About 25 minutes.
Serves: Makes 12 large cupcakes.

Ingredients

For the Carrot Cupcakes
180g Plain Flour
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Ground Cloves
1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
225g Peeled Carrots, grated
2 large Eggs
150g Caster Sugar
50g Soft Light Brown Sugar
180ml Vegetable Oil

For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
90g Butter
150g Icing Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
180g Cream Cheese, cold

Prep the brown butter for the frosting:

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan. Then, turn the heat up and let it cook - it will bubble noisily. When it starts to brown, it will go quiet but still bubble. 
  • Immediately pour the butter into a bowl and scrape out any brown bits too. Cool for 10 minutes then freeze until solid.

Bake the carrot cupcakes:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180C or Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases. 
  • In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. 
  • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, caster sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer until pale. Whisk in the oil gradually until it's well combined. 
  • Sieve in the dry ingredients and fold in until you can no longer see the flour. Finally, stir in the grated carrots. 
  • Divide between the paper cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes then on a wire rack until completely cold.
Make the brown butter cream cheese frosting:
  • Take the frozen brown butter out of the freezer and heat in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until softened. Put it into a bowl and beat for 1 minute with an electric mixer. 
  • Sieve in the icing sugar and salt. Add in the vanilla and beat for 5 minutes. 
  • Add the cream cheese a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition until the frosting is well combined and light.
  • Put the frosting into a piping bag fitted with your favourite nozzle (I used a star one).
Bring the cupcakes and frosting together:
  • Pipe the frosting over the cooled cupcakes. 
  • Serve as they are or grate over a little orange zest.

{adapted from cleobuttera}

Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your carrot cupcakes!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!


Spice Enthusiast
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