Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Candied Walnuts

Eggs for Easter? Not this year my friends, this Easter I'm making carrots! Well, actually I'm making carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and candied walnuts...and oh mamma are they good! Now before you start pre-heating your ovens, let's talk carrot cake for a minute.

I may get hate mail for saying so, but when it comes to carrot cake, I am a purist. No pineapples, coconuts, or raisins were used in the making of these cakes! (I reserved those ingredients for my weekend piña coladas) Just a hint of orange zest, a sprinkle of cinnamon, classic cream cheese frosting, and because I'm feelin' fancy, a candied walnut for on top. This classic carrot cupcake is the only dessert recipe you'll need this Easter. I think the Easter Bunny will approve.

{photos by Freutcake}

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting & Candied Walnuts
Makes 28 cupcakes

Carrot Cupcakes
1 cup of chopped walnuts plus ½ cup for topping
1 pound of carrots
3 large eggs
½ cup of buttermilk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of orange zest
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoons of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Toast all of the walnuts (1 ½ cups) in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set
aside to cool.
2. Rinse the carrots and peel the rough skins off, then grate the carrots.
3. Place the carrots, buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest together in a bowl and whisk
thoroughly.
4. In another bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
5. Fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture, being sure not to overmix. Fold in 1 cup of the toasted walnuts until
evenly incorporated.
6. Scoop into cupcake papers about ½ to ¾ full and bake for 19-21 minutes at 350F, being sure to rotate
the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking. Afterwards allow to cool for 5 minutes before taking the
cupcakes out of the cupcake tin and allowing them to fully cool on a wire rack. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
16 oz of Philadelphia cream cheese
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
3 ½ cups of powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until well combined. Add the vanilla and beat until fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar and salt. Mix until fluffy. Pipe onto cupcakes with round tip.

Candied Walnuts
¼ cup sugar
½ cups raw walnut halves (toasted see above)
pinch of coarse salt

Directions
1. Reserve ½ cup of toasted walnuts from cupcakes and set aside to cool.
2. Add sugar into a saucepan with a thick bottom. Have walnuts nearby, ready to quickly
add to the pan at the right time. Cook sugar on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon as soon
as the sugar begins to melt. Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted and the color is a medium
amber. As soon as sugar is melted and the color is a medium amber, add the walnuts to the pan,
quickly stirring and coating each piece with the sugar mixture.
3. As soon as the walnuts are coated with the sugar mixture, spread them out on a rimmed baking
sheet, lined either with a silpat non-stick mat, or parchment paper. Use two forks to separate the
walnuts from each other, working very quickly. Sprinkle the nuts with the salt. Let cool completely.
4. When completely cool, break into pieces and top cupcakes with small clusters of candied walnuts.

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