carrot cupcake

i finally got to bake cupcakes today! =)
an experiment to see if the recipe was good before i bake it for my friend's open house tomorrow!

i remember years ago i tried baking cupcakes..chocolate with buttercream frosting, it came out TOO SWEET and there was so so so much frosting (which was unfortunately very buttery) urg, to cut it short it was a disaster.

so i was crossing my fingers and hoping for the best this time.
it did turn out ok :) happy happy!

i got this recipe from the internet, after going through and analyzing many recipes.

here it is..

for the cupcake:

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/8 cups white sugar (i used only 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground
cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger1 cup chopped walnuts

*i omitted the nutmeg and ground ginger cos i didn't have it at that time..
* and i added 1/4 cup rasins.

DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
2.Beat together the eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl, and mix in the oil and vanilla. Fold in carrots and pineapple. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix flour mixture into the carrot mixture until evenly moist. Fold in 1/2 cup walnuts. Transfer to the prepared muffin cups.
3.Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before topping with the icing and carrot curls (instructions as follows)

for the topping
1 ounce white chocolate
4 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter,
softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon orange extract (i substitute it with orange juice)
1 cup confectioners' sugar (icing sugar)
1 tablespoons heavy cream

In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white chocolate, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and orange extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Mix in heavy cream.

*NOTE : this amount of icing is more than enough for 2 batches of cupcakes (i.e 24 cupcakes)

so adjust according to the amount that you're going to bake

then for decoration..carrot curls. this might be a little troublesome. and i ahem..did a huge blunder. i burt the carrot slices in the oven cos i forgot to covert Fahrenheit to celcius. sheeesssshhh.

burnt carrot curls. what a waste of ingredients and time and effort! :(

to make carrot curls..
1 large carrot (preferably fat) or 2 medium
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Peel layers from carrot lengthwise on one side with peeler until you begin to get wide slices. Peel wide strips, reserving them, until you get about 15 (there will be a few extra).
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add wide carrot strips and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a bowl, discarding syrup. Let stand 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 110 celcius with rack in middle.
Line a large baking sheet with nonstick liner, then arrange candied carrot slices flat in 1 layer on sheet. Bake until dry but still flexible, about 20-30 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Wind carrot strips, 1 at a time, around end of handle of a wooden spoon in a loose spiral, then slip off each curl and return, seam sides down, to lined baking sheet.
Return curls to oven to dry until crisp, 30 to 45 minutes more. Cool completely on baking sheet.
Cooks' note: Carrot curls can be made 5 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature. Recrisp in a 120°c oven 10 minutes


final product...

happy baking!
for the original recipe, click here

ps. valentine's day post will be slightly delayed cos i don't have many photos yet.
pss. Mayflower food review aso to be done.

*i should be studying*