Carrot and Ginger Vegan Cupcakes

Okay, so this one sounds like I should've made it in winter, but the buttercream definitely makes it taste like springtime. Initially I was thinking about the buttercream and how it would taste quite a lot of cinnamon if I left it the way it was and so, I have added something in to make it taste more zingy and fit for the season. Let's take a look at how we make this incredible (and quite easy) cupcake set!

Part 1: The Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 110g Vegan Butter
• 110g Light Brown Sugar
• 2x Tbsp Apple Sauce
• 1x Carrot
• 2x Tsp Powdered Ginger
• 2x Tsp Vanilla Essence
• 1x Tsp Honey
• 1x Tsp Baking Powder
• 110g Self Raising Flour

How To:

1. Preheat your oven to 200/C and line a cupcake tray with 12 cases
2. In a small bowl, grate your carrot and leave it to one side
3. In your mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla, honey and ginger
4. Then add your apple sauce and mix until you can no longer see the apple lumps
5. Add your grated carrot and whisk it into the whole ordeal until it is all separated and thoroughly mixed in
6. Mix together your baking powder and self-raising flour in a separate bowl and then add to your initial mixture, whisking up the whole thing to form a cake batter
7. Add your cake batter to the 12 cupcake cases in the tray
8. Stick it in the oven to bake for 18-20 minutes
9. When they're out, take them from the tray and place them on a plate
10. Poke a tiny hole in the top of each cupcake to let out any left over air and moisture (as carrots release a lot and you'll be left with a wet cake if you're not careful)
11. Leave on the plate for five minutes
12. Stick the plate of cupcakes in the fridge whilst you clean your area up. You will know when they've cooled because the top of the cupcake has now become nice and firm whereas the inside will still be light yet moreish

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Note: this cake is going to taste really good if you work to the times I've given. It is both decadent and light and makes for a brilliant addition to a springtime afternoon tea. Also, it has a vegetable in it so you can claim you're being healthy whilst eating cake!

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Part 2: Orange and Cinnamon Cream Cheese Buttercream

Ingredients:

• 100g Vegan Cream Cheese
• 1x Tsp Vanilla Essence
• 1x Large Juicing Orange
• 2x Tsp Powdered Cinnamon
• 200g Powdered Sugar
• 2x Tsp Your Choice of Gel Food Colouring
• 12x Walnut Halves

How To:

1. Whip up your cream cheese and vanilla essence by whisking at a high speed for five minutes
2. Whilst this is happening, zest your orange and mix it in with your powdered cinnamon, making sure everything is evenly mixed together (you can just use a spoon for this part)
3. Add your zested orange mix to your cream cheese and mix for a few minutes again until blended in
4. Add you powdered sugar and food colouring (I used reddish orange) and give it all a good mix for another five minutes until it is completely blended together
5. Pop this in a piping bag with a nozzle of your choice and pipe it on to the cupcakes
6. After piping, put your cupcakes in the fridge for about ten minutes whilst the buttercream hardens a bit (this is really so that when you push the walnut in, it doesn't fall apart or lose its shape)
7. Once you've pulled the cupcakes out of the fridge, pop a walnut half into each cupcake, pressing down softly
8. Return the cupcakes to the fridge for another ten minutes so that this can harden again
9. Enjoy your cupcakes!

Conclusion

They should be really nice, light and airy - they should also have a bit of carroty bite to them. The texture is absolutely lovely and when you break the cakes apart you should see that the outside is nice and firm whilst the inside is a fluffy wonderland of softness. They honey in the cupcakes along with the vanilla, cuts through the carrot and ginger a bit so it doesn't feel as sharp. This pairs well with the orange and cinnamon buttercream because you have something nice and cream-cheesy in taste (carrot and cream cheese sandwiches are also really nice, if you don't believe me then try one) along with the spice that works with the zesty taste of an citrus fruit. Everything in here is very orange and well, you could argue it's pretty good for winter as well. Best thing about this recipe? Score up the sugar, flour and butter to 200g each whilst keeping everything else the same and you can add it to sandwich tins and make one big cake.

Enjoy your cupcakes!

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And while you're about, why not have a browse around my springtime baking series for this season's great tastes!

Some of these include...