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Dreamy Carrot-Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Dreamy Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

At StyleNectar I share only my favorite recipes with you- and these Dreamy Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are no exception!  As with many of my recipes, you'll notice they're healthed up a bit-  yet they remain decadent as can be to the tastebuds!

Entertaining?  Dreamy Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are perfect!  Whip these little darlings up the night before without sacraficing one iota of fresh, moistness.  The secret to  keeping them fresh?  Store them in an airtight container on the counter overnight, UNFROSTED.  Storing cupcakes in the fridge before serving is the quickest way to dry them out.  Mix the icing the night before also, stowing it covered in the fridge.  The next day, decorate your cakes with the icing in all of about 4 minutes and…  Ta da!  Moist, perfect cupcakes that taste as if made the hour before your guests arrived 🙂

Dreamy Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (For 1 Dozen Dreams)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, SIFTED (don't skip sifting unless you like lumpy frosting!) 
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Using a hand held mixer, starting out on the lowest speed, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon zest, until creamy and smooth.

Cupcakes:

  • 3/4 cup whole-wheat PASTRY flour (it's gotta be whole wheat PASTRY not reg whole wheat)
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons finely chopped, LIGHTLY TOASTED, walnuts; Separated
  1. Position oven rack in middle of oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a standard muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
  2. Sift together the first 6 ingredients (whole wheat pastry flour through nutmeg). In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar and eggs until combined. Next add in the applesauce, vanilla and carrots. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Fold in 1/4 cup of the chopped walnuts.
  3. Using a large ice-cream scoop, divide the batter evenly amongst the muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. Frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts.  Once the cupcakes are frosted they should be stored in the refrigerator.  

Make Ahead Note: To make cupcakes the night before, bake and cool cupcakes completely.  Then store UNFROSTED cakes in an airtight container on the counter overnight.  Stow the frosting, separately, in the refrigerator.  Frost the cupcakes the next day for perfectly moist, fresh cupcakes!

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Dreamy Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sweet Polenta Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting and Fresh Berries

IMG_0900 Sweet Polenta Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting and Fresh Berries

What better way to celebrate the onset of Spring than with these beautiful italian-inspired cupcakes! Fresh berries atop a sweetened, cornmeal cake and a pillow of mascarpone cream.  

Simple. Beautiful. Delicious.

And a perfect time to share two of my favorite cupcake accessories…

Silver cupcake liners, which I always have in stock for when the cupcake mood strikes.  And, since cupcakes are a great treat to share with other people, a practical and easy way to transport them – the Cupcake Courier.  I highly recommend this little baby.  It has room for the tallest of cupcakes, or mounds of berries as the case may be, and they're all safely nestled and snapped into an easy to use container that I believe will survive even the bumpiest of car rides.

IMG_0893 Sweet Polenta Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting and Fresh Berries nestled inside the Cupcake Courier (the top is currently off).

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup polenta, finely ground (if you'd prefer a more "textured" cupcake, substitute medium ground polenta)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 sticks butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar 
  • 6 eggs, yolks and whites separated
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (the best you can get, it makes a HUGE difference in your baking results)
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus a pinch for the egg whites
  • 4 cups mixed berries (I used blueberries, blackberries & raspberries)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 cupcake pans with 24 muffin liners. Sift together the flour and baking powder then whisk in the polenta and salt.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. While the mixer is running add the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in the milk, vanilla, and lemon zest. With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients to this mixture until just incorporated.

In a separate, clean, dry bowl whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add a teaspoon of powdered sugar while the whites are mixing. Add half of the whites to the first mixture and beat with the paddle. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites with a large spatula to lighten the batter by incorporating air.

Spoon the batter into the lined muffin tins, filling each til about 2/3 full.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center. Cool each pan on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing the cupcakes. Again, cool the cupcakes completely to room temperature while before frosting.

Combine the mascarpone cheese with the confectioners' sugar slowly.  Once you're past the stage of loose powdered sugar, beat together with a whisk until combined. Ice the cupcakes with the mascarpone frosting and top each with a mound of berries.  Enjoy!

Recipe inspired/adapted from Michael Chiarello

 

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