Carrot Cake Muffins with South African Raisins

This simply delicious recipe is based on carrot cake, and it makes eight marvellous muffins - with lots of South African raisins for flavour and natural sweetness. YUM!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Makes: 8

You’ll need:

200g plain flour

2tsp baking powder

100g light muscovado sugar

1 large egg

1tsp vanilla extract

1tsp finely grated orange zest

100ml milk

50g butter, melted 

250g carrots, finely grated

70g South African raisins

Topping:

150g cream cheese

2tsp icing sugar

1tsp finely grated orange zest

8 sugar carrot decorations 

Method:

1  Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6. Put 8 paper muffin cases into a muffin tin.

2  Put the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar.

3  Beat together the egg, vanilla extract, orange zest, milk and melted butter. Add to the dry ingredients with the grated carrots and raisins and stir until just combined. Avoid over-mixing.

4  Share the mixture between the paper cases. Bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

5  Mix together the cream cheese, icing sugar and orange zest. Spread onto the muffins, then serve, topped with fine shreds of orange zest and the carrot decorations.

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Cook’s tips: 

* The secret of successful muffins is to avoid over-mixing when adding the wet ingredients to the dry ones – stir until just combined.

* Use light soft brown sugar if you can’t find muscovado.

Credit: @southafricaraisins