Breakfast and Brunch

Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

About This Recipe

Yield:	24 cupcakes
This recipe appears in:	Serious Entertaining: How to Host a Make-Ahead Brunch

1 pound of carrots
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 orange's worth of orange zest
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 15 ounce box of golden raisins
2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter, softened; I like to add "put butter out" to my to-do list the night before the brunch.
2 packages (16 ounces) of cream cheese
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

1

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2

Peel and grate the carrots.
3

Place the carrots, buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest together in a bowl and whisk thoroughly.
4

In another bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger.
5

Fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture, being sure not to overmix. Fold in the golden raisins until evenly incorporated.
6

Scoop into two cupcake paper-lined cupcake pans with a 1/4 cup.
7

Bake for 19 to 22 minutes at 350° F, being sure to rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking.
8

Afterwards allow to cool for 5 minutes before taking the cupcakes out of the cupcake tin and allowing them to fully cool.
9

Frost cooled cupcakes.
10

Cream Cheese Frosting
11

Makes a little more than you'll need for 24 cupcakes, but you can save the leftovers for strawberry dipping.
12

Put the butter and cream cheese into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until it's all combined.
13

Sift in the powdered sugar. Be careful though, it can poof all over your face and counter.
14

When all blended, spread onto cooled cupcakes.