Carrot Cupcakes...With or Without Raisins!

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting used to be my all-time favorite kind of cake.   I had a huge carrot cake for my 30th birthday party (which was way longer ago than I care to discuss), an adorable Classic Winnie-the-Pooh carrot cake for my baby shower when I was expecting Benjamin (also way longer ago than I care to discuss!), and I even thought about having a layer of our wedding cake carrot.  For some reason, I decided against the carrot wedding cake, but for the life of me can't remember what flavor I went with.  Guess that was a long time ago, too!  ANYWAY...my point is, that somewhere along the way, carrot cake took a backseat to my quest for all things chocolate (well, MOST things chocolate...also peanut butter, caramel, lemon...you get the idea).

Until now.  I had run across a few recipes for carrot cupcakes and figured I would eventually get around to making one.  And now I have.

When I started really putting some thought to doing this, I knew that I wanted to go with the carrot cake recipe of an old family friend.  Donna is the one who made that adorable Winnie-the-Pooh cake for my baby shower (and our beautiful wedding cake I can't remember the flavor of) and her recipe is super good.  Of course, the recipe was MIA when I first started looking, but I found it, tweaked the spices a bit, added some raisins (to half the batch, anyway!), and here we are!

These cupcakes have a great flavor , and topped with an orange cream cheese frosting, are "nearly perfect in every way"....to quote Mary Poppins.  :)

Carrot Cupcakes
{recipe makes about 24}

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots (about 4 medium sized carrots)
1 cup raisins soaked in water for about an hour (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line cupcakes pans with paper liners.  Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until well combined.  If you choose to use raisins, you can throw them in now.

Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake for 18-22 minutes.  Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar
grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cream together the cream cheese and butter.  Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until the frosting is smooth and creamy.  Add the orange zest and beat for another minute or so.  Frost the cooled cupcakes your favorite way!  I used a pastry bag and a Wilton 1M tip.

{FYI- my hubby said these are his favorite cupcakes so far!}

Cranberry Chai Cupcakes

I know that chai is really popular these days.  I have a couple of good friends who are really into chai tea and lattes, so these cupcakes jumped out at me when I saw them in my Better Homes and Gardens cupcake magazine a few months ago.  I mentally "put a pin in it", knowing that I would have to make them at some point.

I do have to confess, though, that I had never tried chai myself until recently.  Didn't even know what it tasted like!  Well, now I do, and while a chai latte is tasty...these cupcakes (in my humble opinion) are mucho better!!  And I love the recipe from BHG because it even tells you how to make your own chai spice seasoning.  Awesome! 

Cranberry Chai Cupcakes
{makes 20-24 cupcakes}

What you need:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T Chai Spice Seasoning (recipe to follow)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup chopped cranberries

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, Chai seasoning, baking powder, baking soda, and salt;  whisk to combine.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy.  Gradually add in sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Beat in vanilla.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.  Stir in chopped cranberries.

Fill liners about 2/3 full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool cakes in pans for about 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Chai Cream Cheese Frosting

What you need:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 T vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons chai spice seasoning
4 cups powdered sugar



What to do:
Beat the butter, cream cheese, and chai spice seasoning in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add in the powdered sugar gradually, beating until you reach your desired consistancy.  Frost cupcakes as desired. 

Chai Spice Seasoning
Using an electic spice grinder, small food processor, or clean coffee grinder, finely grind 1 tsp fennel seeds and 1 tsp whole cloves.  Transfer to a small bowl.  Stir in 2 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.  You can store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to one month

Sugared Cranberries:
Roll frozen whole cranberries in granulated sugar to coat.  Place on waxed paper; let stand until dry.

{Recipe slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens}

Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes

I miss fall.  After 26+ years living in Arizona, fall...a REAL fall...is what I miss the most about living in Michigan.  You know...the leaves changing colors, the crispness in the air, the smell of fires burning.  THAT kind of fall.  We don't get that here in Arizona, but that doesn't stop me from pretending!  And the best way to get into a fall kind of mood is to bake something that smells like fall.  Something like pumpkin spiced cupcakes!

These cupcakes have been on my "to do list" for a while, but I kept thinking I would wait until it cooled down just a bit before making them.  Well, that is just not happening, so I decided to make them anyway.  Who cares if it is still 100 degrees outside, right?

Usually, I like to use fresh pumpkin when I'm baking, but truthfully I just didn't have the patience for it this time.  I wanted quick and simple.  So I used Libby's canned pumpkin and they turned out just as yummy as if I had used fresh.  That Libby knows her stuff.  :)

Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes
{makes about 24 cupcakes}

What you need:
For the cupcakes:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs

For the frosting:
8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line your cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together the pumpkin, white sugar, brown sugar, and oil.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing until just incorporated.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3-3/4 full.  Bake about 18-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Blend in the vanilla.  Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, until fully incorporated.  Beat in the milk.  Increase the speed and beat until smooth.  Frost cupcakes as desired.  I sprinkled the tops of the cupcakes with a little bit of cinnamon, but that is optional...I just thought it looked pretty.  :)

{Adapted from: Annie's Eats}