Carrot Cupcakes

It seems as if rules are ever changing, as well as the palates of little ones. Going back to when I was in elementary school, I remember on my birthday my mom bringing in treats for the class. These were usually something along the line of store-bought cupcakes, donuts, or ding-dongs. Completely acceptable. Completely delicious.

Now, as a mother myself, living in an era of Pinterest, blogging, and it seems a world of dietary restrictions, I find myself struggling to figure out what to bring to school on the girls’ birthdays. I want it to be special, healthy, and still delicious to a bunch of little kids: they do happen to be the most honest critics.

Last year, I took the easy route of grabbing donut holes at a local shop to bring in. Of course, they were a hit. I, however, felt like I had slacked a bit. While trying to think game plan this year, I remembered entering a baking competition back in college where I made a version of a hummingbird cake with a dulce de leche frosting. I figured that a spin on this would be the perfect little bite size treat for a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds. It also happens to be a hit with the grown-ups as well!

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There is something so satisfying about mini things. It also helps that you can eat a few without feeling so guilty!

 

 

For the cupcakes:

3 cups shredded carrots

3 room temperature eggs

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup chopped walnuts (OPTIONAL)

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger; grated

2 fresh vanilla beans

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

 

3 cups gluten free flour (I used cup4cup blend)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the frosting:

1 1/2 cups softened butter

3/4 cup dulce de leche

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

splash of heavy cream or milk

pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

In one bowl, mix together your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients: carrots, pineapple, eggs, shredded coconut, ginger, vanilla beans (seeds scraped from beans), granulated sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil. Add the walnuts if using.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in 3 batches. Incorporate thoroughly, but do not over mix. The batter will be lumpy.

If making in a mini muffin pan (makes about 3 dozen): place liner in each muffin tin. Place about a tablespoon of batter into each tin (I like to fill almost to the top so they have a nice appearance). Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then place on a baking rack until completely cool.

If making regular muffins (makes about 18): place a liner in each muffin tin. Scoop batter until 3/4 or a little more full. Bake for 20-25 minutes and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the tin and let cool completely.

Dulce De Leche:

There are several options for your dulce de leche, and there are no wrong ways! If I am going the easy route, I prefer to buy from Williams-Sonoma and the brand is La Salamandra. I do believe you can usually also buy from Nestle or other brands in the baking aisle. If there is none available, you can make some buy placing a can of evaporated milk in simmering water for about 2 hours.

For the frosting:

Make sure that your butter is room temperature. I will usually take out the night before to ensure it is nice and easy to mix and that it makes smooth frosting. Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, or a handheld mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add in your dulce de leche, and vanilla, and continue to mix. I prefer to sift my powdered sugar to make sure it is not lumpy, but it is an additional step that is not necessary.  Add in a splash of cream or milk and continue until you have the right texture. If you add too much milk, you can always balance by adding in extra powdered sugar. You can also add in any colored gels to the mix if you want to make the cupcakes festive.