Makes12 cupcakes
- Active Time:30 min
- Start to Finish:2 1/4 hr (includes cooling; does not include making garnish)
These delightful cupcakes are great as soon as they’ve cooled, but their carrot-cake moistness and hint of spice really come through the day after they’re baked.
December 2007
For cupcakes
-
4
medium carrots
-
1 1/2
cups
all-purpose flour
-
1 1/2
teaspoons
baking powder
-
1/2
teaspoon
baking soda
-
3/4
teaspoon
salt
-
1
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
-
1/2
teaspoon
ground ginger
-
1/4
teaspoon
grated nutmeg
-
3/4
cup
vegetable oil
-
3
large eggs
-
1
cup
packed light brown sugar
-
1
teaspoon
pure vanilla extract
For icing
-
1 1/4
cups
confectioners sugar
-
1/2
teaspoon
grated orange zest
-
2 to 3
tablespoons
fresh orange juice
Make cupcakes:
-
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line muffin cups with paper liners.
-
Coarsely grate enough carrots to measure 2 cups using large teardrop holes of a box grater.
-
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl.
-
Whisk together oil, eggs, brown sugar, grated carrots, and vanilla in a large bowl, then stir in flour mixture until just combined.
-
Divide batter among muffin cups and bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted into center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
-
Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on rack, about 1 hour more.
Make icing:
-
Sift confectioners sugar into a bowl. Whisk in zest and 2 tablespoons juice until smooth. If icing is too thick, add more juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. Dip top of each cupcake into icing, letting excess drip off. Put a carrot curl on top of each and let icing set, about 15 minutes.
Cooks’ note: Cupcakes, without garnish, can be made and iced 1 day ahead, then kept in 1 layer in an airtight container at room temperature.
