Carrot Cake Cupcakes: A Tasty Liberty County Holiday Treat

Move over pumpkin bread and goodbye apple pie; there’s a new holiday treat we think you’ll enjoy this fall: carrot cake cupcakes!

Nothing ushers in the holiday season quite like the cozy scents of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla flowing through the air, and this recipe has all that and more. After one bite, we just had to ask local baker Dane Sterrett (owner of Get Frosted!) to share her recipe for one of our new favorite fall-themed desserts. If you’re looking for sugar, spice and a whole lot of nice, then you’ll love Dane’s tasty carrot cake cupcake recipe.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 cups grated carrots lightly packed
• 2/3 cups nuts (optional)

Photo Courtesy of Dane Sterrett

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place liners in your cupcake tin.

Combine your dry ingredients (flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and ginger) in a bowl and blend with a wire whisk until well-blended.

In a separate bowl combine oil, both sugars, eggs (one at a time), vanilla and sour cream until well-blended.

Next, slowly add your dry mixture into the wet mixture until combined. Lastly, stir in your carrots with your spoon until they are completely covered with the batter.

Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake 18-23 minutes until golden brown. Let cupcakes rest in the pan for about 5 minutes before moving onto a cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter (softened)
• 12 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 5 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Begin with butter in the mixer and blend on medium to soften. Then add in the cream cheese and blend until smooth.

Next, begin to add powdered sugar (1 cup at a time). After each cup, alternate between half of the milk and half of the vanilla, before adding the next cup of sugar.

In other words, add 1 cup of sugar, 1 tbs milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 tbs vanilla, 1 cup sugar, 1 tbs milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 tbs vanilla, 1 cup sugar

Scrape down the sides of your bowl and check for sweetness and consistency.

• If it’s too thick, add a little more milk.
• If it’s too thin, at a little more sugar.

Put your frosting into a piping bag and then pipe on top of cupcakes.

Optional – Sprinkle with crushed nuts

Photo Courtesy of Dane Sterrett

Recipe provided by Dane Sterrett with Get Frosted!

*****

Looking for more new recipes to try this fall? Check out this recipe for a spiced German cocktail courtesy of Zum Rosenhof!