Light and easy carrot cupcakes. Ideal for lunchboxes, picnics and afternoon tea!

 Makes: 12 cakes

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time:  20 minutes

You’ll need: 

For the cakes:

150g soft brown sugar

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp mixed spice

zest 1 orange

2 eggs

150ml light olive oil

200g Chantenay (blitzed in a food processor)

 

For the candied carrot toppers:

25g butter

25g soft brown sugar

12 small Chantenay carrots

12 small mint leaves

 

For the icing:

100g butter, softened

300g cream cheese

100g icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

What to do:

 

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cases.

 

In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients and orange zest. 

 

Whisk together the eggs and oil, then stir into the dry ingredients with the grated carrot.

 

Divide the mixture between cases and bake for 20 mins until a knife poked in comes out clean.

 

Meanwhile, put butter, sugar and small Chantenay carrots in a small pan and cook for 10 mins. Spoon onto a cooling rack and allow to cool

 

For the icing, beat the butter together with the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla.

 

When the cakes are cool,  swirl the icing on top of the cakes, and then place the candied Chantenay carrots on top with a mint leaf.

chantenay.co.uk