This week, my husband, Sean, and I are celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been married fifteen years and it seems like it was just yesterday that we said our “I do’s”. Our wedding was really sweet and very small and simple. The wedding party included just me, Sean, his parents and mine; no friends and no siblings. We were adamant about keeping things low key. The morning of our big day, we dressed at the house and walked the few blocks down the hill to the local courthouse for a brief, but intimate ceremony. Afterwards, we gathered around our big dining room table for a beautiful meal, wine and wedding cake. The wedding cake was our mutual favorite – carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Every year since our wedding, I make carrot cake (or cupcakes in this case) on our anniversary, tweaking the recipe a bit every year. I love the way this year’s cupcakes turned out! These cupcakes are packed full of shredded carrot, which results in a perfectly moist cake that is slightly sweet and spicy. I then load them up with a delightfully smooth and tangy cream cheese frosting that is subtly flavored with cinnamon and sugar. For garnish, each cupcake is topped with delicate ribbons of candied carrot that are not only beautiful, but deliciously sweet. This colorful garnish offers great crunch and chew reminiscent of crystallized ginger (but without the spice).
What I love about cupcakes is that they are already portioned out into single servings. There is no hassle of slicing and serving cake. Just unwrap a cupcake from it’s paper and pop it into your mouth. Boom!
These cupcakes hold up well and are moist enough to enjoy for a few days after they bake, assuming they will last that long. And, speaking of lasting long, here’s to another fifteen years of marriage, Sean! I love you.
To make these cupcakes, start by preheating the oven to 350 deg F. Place cupcake papers into each well of two cupcake pans and grease the areas around each well to ensure the cupcakes do not stick to the pan as they rise during baking. Next, take 16 ounces of cream cheese and 6 tablespoons of butter out of the refrigerator and allow them to warm to room temperature on the kitchen counter. You will want these soft for making the frosting later.
In a large mixing bowl, add two cups of flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of clove and ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger. Mix with a wooden spoon.
In a separate bowl, whisk together two eggs, one teaspoon of vanilla, 1 cup of buttermilk, ⅓ cup of canola oil, ½ cup of sugar and 2 cups of grated carrot (about 4 medium-sized carrots). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Scoop just shy of ⅓ cup of batter into each muffin paper and bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely on the counter before frosting them.
While the cupcakes cool, make the garnish. Shred one carrot into long thin ribbons and place in a small saucepan along with ½ cup of sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the carrots and spread them out onto a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with wax paper. While still wet, sprinkle the carrot ribbons with three tablespoons of granulated sugar. Toss with your hands and then set them aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.
When the cupcakes have cooled, mix 16 ounces of softened cream cheese, 6 tablespoons of softened salted butter, 1½ teaspoons of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1⅓ cup of powdered sugar together. Whisk until completely smooth. Spread frosting onto each cupcake using a knife or pastry bag fitted with a star attachment and top with the candied carrot ribbons. Enjoy!
Carrot Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground clove
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups grated carrot (about four medium-sized carrots)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 tbsp salted butter, room temperature
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1⅓ cup powdered sugar
Candied Carrot Ribbons
- 1 carrot, sliced into ribbons
- ½ cup granulated sugar, plus 3 tablespoons (divided)
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line and grease two muffin pans. Set aside.
- Take cream cheese and butter out of the refrigerator, set on the counter and allow to come up to room temperature. You'll want these ingredients soft when you make the frosting later on.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, canola oil, sugar, vanilla, buttermilk and grated carrot. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
- Scoop about ⅓ cup of batter into each muffin paper and bake cupcakes for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- While the cupcakes cool, make the candied carrot ribbons. Using a vegetable peeler, cut long wide ribbons from one medium-sized carrot. Add carrot ribbons to a small saucepan, along with ½ cup of water and ½ cup of sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain carrots and lay them on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with wax paper. Sprinkle three tablespoons of granulated sugar over the carrots while still wet. Toss with your hands to coat the carrot ribbons completely in sugar. Spread ribbons out on the pan and allow them to dry for at least 15 minutes.
- Next, make the frosting by whisking the softened cream cheese and salted butter together with the vanilla, cinnamon and powdered sugar. Mix until the frosting is creamy and very smooth.
- Using a knife or a pastry bag outfitted with a star attachment, spread the frosting over the cupcakes and top with the candied carrot ribbons. Enjoy!
