Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Food

CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Carrot Cake:.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (I like the foil liners!).
• Beat together the eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl.
• Mix in the vegetable oil, apple sauce, and vanilla.
• Fold in carrots and pineapple.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
• Mix flour mixture into the carrot mixture until evenly moist.
• Fold in 1/2 cup walnuts.
• Transfer to the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before topping with the icing and sprinkling with remaining walnuts.
• Frosting:.
• In small saucepan, melt white chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth, and allow to cool to room temperature.
• In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white chocolate, vanilla extract, and orange extract.
• Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is fluffy.
• Mix in heavy cream.

BROWNED BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, over medium heat, cook 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) until browned and nutty fragranced. Watch carefully, stir occasionally and do not let burn. This should take about 15-20 minutes.
• Cube the other 1/4 cup of butter (1/2 stick) and place in a mixing bowl with softened cream cheese. Pour browned butter over top and allow to sit for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds. With an electric mixer, beat until the butter and cream cheese are smooth. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar until the proper consistency is reached. (To avoid lumps, shake/sift sugar through a sieve.) Add 1-3 tablespoon heavy cream, if needed, to thin to a spreading consistency.
• If the frosting is too soft for decorating, refrigerate for about half an hour before using.

CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Place fluted paper liners in 18 muffin cups.
• In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
• In bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs until frothy.
• Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored.
• Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract.
• Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.
• With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts.
• Evenly divide the batter between the 18 muffin cups and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
• Beat the butter and cream cheese until very smooth with no lumps.
• Gradually beat in the icing until fully incorporated and smooth.
• Beat in the vanilla extract.
• With a knife or small metal spatula spread cream cheese frosting on top of each cupcake.
• Place the sweetened coconut in a plastic bag along with a few drops of green food coloring.
• Shake the bag until all the coconut has been colored with the dye.
• Garnish with the green colored coconut and a foil covered chocolate egg.
• For the basket handles, place the ends of colored pipe cleaners into the sides of the cupcakes.
• Cover and refrigerate the cupcakes until serving time.