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.
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