Next week is National Vegetarian Week, and I can't think of a more iconic cake to celebrate than carrot!
This sponge is one of the best. Its ultra moist and packed full of flavour! I really love carrot cake, and I think this is one of the best!
I use a combination of pineapple, coconut, sour cream, and lots of carrots and spices to achieve such a rich but light sponge. This is gluten free carrot cake to the next level!
The trick with these is to use oil instead of butter because it creates a more bouncy sponge. I like to throw in some white chocolate chips for some added sweetness, and top with cream cheese frosting which is an absolute must and balances with the spices perfectly.
For the pièce de résistance, I finish my carrot cupcakes with candied carrot, which are easily made by boiling sugar and cooking ribbons of carrot until just soft, then sprinkling them with more sugar while they cool.
Believe me when I tell you that these cupcakes are a dream. There's a reason that carrot cake is the most iconic veggie cake!
Are there any coeliac veggies out there? I was brought up veggie but when I got my coeliac diagnosis it just became too difficult, especially eating out.
It's very different now for coeliacs as there's so many more options. However, I can't see myself ever being 100% veggie because it still adds another layer of stress, and being a coeliac is, unfortunately, already stressful enough.
If you're a coeliac veggie I'd love to hear about your experiences. Let me know in the comments below or on Instagram.
In the mean time, let's get caking these scrummy carrot cupcakes!
Recipe
180C (170C fan)
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep: 30 mins
Bake: 22 mins
Assembly: 5 mins
Ingredients
Sponge
100ml vegetable oil
125g light brown sugar
3 medium eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
100g carrot, grated
50g canned pineapple, chopped very finely (include juice)
25g desiccated coconut
160g gluten free self-raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
50g white chocolate, chips or roughly chopped
Frosting
80g unsalted butter
120g full fat cream cheese
350g icing sugar
1 carrot for the candied carrot
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Method: Sponge
Don't forget to wait until all the ingredients are room temperature before starting.
Preheat oven to 180C. Fill 12 muffin holes with cases.
In a jug, whisk the sugar, oil, 3 eggs and vanilla vigorously.
Pour into a bowl and add the grated carrot, crushed pineapple, and coconut.
In a separate bowl mix together the flour, bicarb, baking soda, xanthan gum, cinnamon, and ginger, then add these to the carrot batter and mix, along with the white chocolate.
Spoon 2 tbsp of the mixture into each muffin case.
Let the mixture sit in the cases for 20 minutes before placing in an oven for 22 minutes on the bottom shelf. A skewer or toothpick inserted into the cupcakes should come out clean.
Method: Buttercream
This cream cheese frosting is a no-brainer when it comes to carrot cake! It's simple and it's divine.
Cream the butter until pale, and add in the cream cheese and beat.
Pour in the icing sugar and mix until fully incorporated.
Assembly
Making sure the sponges are completely cool, pipe on a good layer of the cream cheese frosting.
If you are caramelising carrot for the top, place equal parts caster sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add in the carrot ribbons and cook for 5 minutes. Lay on a baking tray and sprinkle a little caster sugar on top. Leave until cool and then top your cupcakes.
Enjoy!