Adventures in Baking: Carrot Cupcakes and Chocolate & Cream Cheese Cupcakes

As of Thursday evening I've baked 4 different cupcake recipes.  Two of them (plain chocolate and vanilla) get a thumbs down but the other two were great!  Here are the recipes with some pictures.

These carrot cupcakes are dense and moist with a rich flavour because of the brown sugar which carmelizes slightly on the top when they bake.  The icing is velvety smooth and the butter gives it a lot of depth.  Add the powdered sugar in 1/2 cup at a time and taste it frequently to get the consistency and sweetness that you enjoy best. 

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients:1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup oil
2 large eggs
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Icing:

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

1. Mix dry cake ingredients.
2. Add carrots, oil and eggs.
3. Stir till all is wet.
4. Add nuts, (optional) then fill lined muffin tins almost to the top - these don't rise very much.
5. Bake at 325*F for app. 25 minutes.  Test them around 18 min and then add time in 2 minute increments until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool.
7. Cream together cream cheese, butter, vanilla Add powdered sugar.
8. Spread over cooled cupcakes.

These chocolate and cream cheese cupcakes have a light spongy chocolate base with a cheesecake-like topping.  I didn't put any icing on them because they're delicious as is.  However if you wanted to have icing, a raspberry American Buttercream would be delicious!

Chocolate & Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Chocolate & Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Ingredients:1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sunflower or canola oil
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup soft cream cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
heaping 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda into a large bowl.
2. Stir 3/4 cup of the sugar into the flour
3. Add the oil, water, vinegar and vanilla extract.  Stir until well combined.
4. Place the rest of the sugar, cream cheese, and egg in a bowl and beat until well mixed.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Spoon the chocolate batter into a lined muffin pan.  Top each one with equal amounts of the cream cheese mixture.
7. Bake at 350*F for app. 25 minutes.  Test them around 20 min and then add time in 2 minute increments until the top springs back when you touch it.

- Jacs