Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Happy Friday, everyone…sort of. What a week it’s been. Between Boston and Texas, I just don’t know what to say that hasn’t already been said. This week has brought unquantifiable loss, sadness, and pain to so many, all during a week which historically already houses so much tragedy in the anniversaries of Columbine, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma City. It’s hard to feel like it’s a regular Friday, like everything is normal, isn’t it?

I think it is. It’s hard. What’s not nearly as hard is finding the grace in all of this, and letting yourself be heartened by small moments of human triumph. We’ve talked about the triumph of humanity in Boston, the instinctual goodness of brave bystanders and first responders who ran toward the smoke and the darkness without a second thought for their own safety, simply because they knew people needed help. Now we hear of volunteer firefighters in towns near West, Texas, who rushed to a burning fertilizer plant at great personal risk, and despite it not being their jurisdiction. And right here in DC, we hear of the families of Newtown shooting victims overcoming their trauma and pain to look their lawmakers in the face during this week’s gun vote.

Selflessness. Courage. Strength. In the heartbreak and pain of these last few days, they shine brightly through the darkness. Under the cloud of horrendous acts of violence committed in order to plant fear in our hearts, in the shadow of the kind of industrial accident that can decimate a four-block radius, there is such light. The fact that it shines so brightly – and that it exists at all – is an unwavering testament to the human spirit. If we are lucky enough to be safe and well, we owe it to those who are not to let that light illuminate our own darkness, to let it guide our way. And if we are lucky enough to be safe and well, we owe it to those who are not to be grateful for what we have. To hug our loved ones, our children, our pets. And to use both our words and our deeds to shine that same light upon others in whatever small ways we can.

I don’t have a graceful segue into flowery words about food. I chose this recipe for today because baking comforts me. When the world goes insane, it feels like a constant – if all else is topsy-turvy, the ratio of flour to leavening, of wet to dry, always stays the same. There’s something very soothing about that.

I hope you are fortunate enough to be safe and well. I hope you’ll do things you love this weekend. I hope the beauty of the human spirit we have seen this week has touched your heart, and I hope its light brightens any darkness that’s clouding your world. Love and peace to everyone.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

 

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Category: Dessert

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 pound of carrots
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp orange zest

Frosting

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• ⅛ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Peel the carrots, and finely grate them (I use my food processor for this - you can also use a box grater). Place the grated carrots in a large bowl.
4. Add the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, oil and orange zest to the bowl with the carrots and whisk until thoroughly combined.
5. Gently stir the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
6. Scoop batter evenly into prepared liners, filling each ⅔ - ¾ full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for five minutes in pans, then remove to racks to cool completely.
7. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add the butter and beat until well-incorporated and fluffy, another two minutes. Beat in the brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add the powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is reached (I usually use about 3 cups). Beat for an additional two minutes. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes (if spreading rather than piping, you can halve the frosting recipe).
8. Top with garnishes of choice - toasted walnuts, grated carrots, etc.

3.2.1753

Source: Cupcakes slightly adapted from Simply Recipes