Andy had a birthday yesterday. 🙂 I had been planning on making him his birthday pie (blueberry this year) but thought it really wouldn’t be a birthday without cake. And then I thought about how much he really likes Bill’s Big Carrot Cake, and that led to thoughts of how I really didn’t have the time or the ingredients to devote to such a cake, delicious though it may be. But surely there was a recipe out there for a basic carrot cake that I could turn into a dozen cupcakes to help make the day a little more special for him.
I actually found a recipe for a light carrot cake that I decided to use. I changed it up a little because it called for whole wheat flour, and while I was all for using whole wheat flour in the pancakes I was also making at the time, I did not want that flavor in my cupcakes. I also cut the recipe in half, and then I put my daughter to work peeling and grating carrots. In reality, it was probably slave labor, because I gave her the worst task when making the cake, but she got to help make Daddy’s birthday cupcakes and that made her happy.
The recipe I found also called three eggs, which were separated and then the whites beaten. Whoops! I didn’t see that direction at all! And instead of measuring my egg, (because how do you use one and a half eggs?) I used one grocery store large egg, and one small fresh from the farm egg that friends had given us. Truly, other than grating the carrot, I liken this adapted recipe to that of a carrot cake mix. Really, it was about that easy. I just plopped everything into the bowl and mixed it up and then baked it. A smear of cream cheese frosting went onto the cupcakes and they were proclaimed good.
While they may not be the loaded carrot cake experience that is Big Bill’s Carrot Cake, they actually turned out really good. I wouldn’t hesitate to make these again if a carrot cake craving strikes and time is of the essence. They had a nice light crumb that was moist and full of that spicy carrot cake flavor. This one was a winner!
You can easily make this a layer cake or a sheet cake too. As is, you can bake it in a 9-inch round or square pan for about 35 minutes. If you want to make layers or want a bigger cake, double the recipe. The cupcakes took about 25 minutes to bake, and one batch makes a dozen.
Easy Carrot Cake Cupcakes
1/2 cup cake flour 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda pinch of salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1 large egg and 1 small egg (alternatively, use two large eggs, beat together and then measure out 1/4 cup of egg plus 1 1/2 tablespoons) 1/3 cup buttermilk 3 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 carrots, peeled and grated on a box graterPreheat oven to 350ºF and line a muffin pan with cupcake papers. If you’re using a baking pan, spray the pan with cooking spray.
Combine the cake flour through the allspice in a mixing bowl. Mix together with a whisk. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the egg, buttermilk and oil. Mix together and add to the dry ingredients.
Mix together until just combined, and then fold in the grated carrots.
Divide the batter among twelve cupcake papers- they should be about 2/3 full once you’ve used all the batter.
Bake in a 350º oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.