Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

These light, moist carrot and pineapple cupcakes are topped with a creamy cream cheese icing.

We store the iced cupcakes in the refrigerator but allow them to stand at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

You will need 1/4 cup canned crushed pineapple for this recipe. Remaining pineapple can be frozen for later use if desired.

Makes 10 cupcakes.

100g (2/3 cup) plain flour
130g (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) caster sugar
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
40g (1/3 cup) roughly chopped pecan nuts
84ml (1/3 cup) oil (we use peanut oil, but any mild-flavoured oil could be used)
1 large egg (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
80g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) grated carrot
62g (1/4 cup) well-drained crushed pineapple

Cream Cheese Icing
60g cream cheese, softened
30g butter, softened
140g (1 cup) icing sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced).

Line a muffin pan (1/3 cup capacity holes) with ten cases that measure 5cm across the base.

Stir flour, caster sugar, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and pecans together in a large bowl until well combined.

In a small bowl, stir oil, egg, vanilla, carrot and pineapple together until well combined.

Add carrot mixture to dry ingredients.

Stir ingredients together until just combined.

Divide mixture evenly between the ten cases.

Bake for about 20-24 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife or wooden skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out without any batter attached.

Remove pan from oven and allow cupcakes to cool in pan for about five minutes.

Remove cupcakes from pan and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Make icing and spread over cooled cupcakes.

Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Cream Cheese Icing
Using electric hand-held beaters, beat cream cheese and butter together in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Add the lemon juice and sift in half the icing sugar. Beat until combined. Sift in remaining icing sugar, and beat until icing is smooth. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au