LITTLE CARROT CAKES

There’s something rather special about little cakes, especially when served with pot of tea and shared with a friend. Little Carrot Cakes with walnuts, are wonderfully spiced, moist and tops generously slathered with vanilla cream cheese frosting. A little decadence never hurt anyone.

Most carrot cake lovers are probably used to the gargantuan version of layers of cake with frosting between each layer needing a fork to eat with if it’s to be consumed in any sort of well-mannered fashion. These little cakes, while still donning the cream cheese topping, can easily be picked up and eaten in your fingers without judgement or mess. Except me, I’m a messy eater; guaranteed to have crumbs down my cleavage and the frosting up my nose. No one can say I don’t enjoy my food – especially cakes.

The inspiration for these delicious little morsels came from one of my favorite cookbooks – What Katie Ate by Irish-born Katie Quinn. Katie’s photography is so gorgeous, her recipes things I’d like to cook and eat.

I love afternoon teas, dim sum, finger food-type eats. Do you? I need to add more recipes to my web site of smaller nibbles and sweets. Not because I’m into cute and fiddly, I just find bit-sized food to be a little whimsical. Until next time, make sure you try your hand at baking these Little Carrot Cakes. Toodles, Lovoni xo

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LITTLE CARROT CAKES

Spiced with ginger and nutmeg, these little cakes are made in a 12-hole friand pan but if you don’t have one or can’t find one, a muffin pan will work just as well. The cakes will freeze with or without the frosting and thawed at room temperature.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time35 mins

cooling time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 50 mins

Course: Baking

Keyword: carrot cake

Servings: 12

Calories: 339kcal

Author: Lovoni

Equipment

• friand pan or muffin pan

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup honey, plus extra for drizzling
• 3 large eggs,
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, plus extra for decorating
• 1/2 cup golden raisins sultanas
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and grated about 2 3/4 cups

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened 4 oz/113g
• 1/2 cup softened cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Grease a 12-hole friand pan or a muffin pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and sugar until well combined.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, sauce, honey, eggs and vanilla until well combined. Add to the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
• Add the walnuts, raisins and carrot; stir until well combined. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake on the center rack, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean. Let stand in the pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the frosting:

• While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting – in a medium bowl using an electric stand mixer or hand mixer, beat all the ingredients together on low speed for 1 minutes then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Spread the frosting liberally on top of the cooled cakes, sprinkle with extra walnuts and drizzle with honey (optional). Makes 12.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 2771IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 1mg