Happy New Year everyone!! Once again so so sorry for my long absence I have no excuses just been feeling extremely demotivated and am in real need of getting my blogging mojo back!

So kicking of my first post in 2016 I am sharing with you all this easy peasy Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe which I made over the Christmas holidays. This is a great recipe for those who like me that suffer with peanut allergies being this recipe does "not" contain any nuts and on top of that it is just a fun and simple way to get in to baking.

So, here we go;


Step 2: Sift your Flour, Bicarbonate Soda and Cinnamon powder over a newspaper (this is a technique my mum showed me, as seen in the photo above) and leave to one side whilst you mix together the other ingredients.

Step 3: In a mixing bowl you will need to blend the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla essence.

Step 4: Once the above is blended, you can then add the carrots and dry ingredients and mix all together. I used a fork for this method because I wanted the texture to be quite coarse and not too smooth...if that makes sense.

Step 5: Pour the batter in to your cups. I did 2tbs scoops in each cup, but to be totally honest next time I would put more in each cup, maybe another 2 to make them more fuller.

Step 6: Place trays on a low rack in the oven and bake for approx 20-25mins.


Step 7: All you will need to do is mix the cream cheese, butter and lemon rind in a small  to medium size mixing bowl until smooth and then gradually beat in the sifted Icing Sugar. I used a rubber spatula for the mixing, but you can use a mini whisk or spoon.

Step 8: Once the cupcakes are ready you will need to take them out of the oven and their tray and place them on a cooling rack for approx 30mins. You want your cupcakes to be completely cooled down before applying the icing.
Tip: I've found the best way to check when a sponge cake is baked through is by putting a toothpick/wooden skewer in to the cake and if it comes out clean it means it's ready.

Step 9: Once cupcakes are cooled down we are now ready to apply our icing. You can apply the icing anyway you want, with a spoon, knife or rubber spatula. This time I decided to go all out and use a piping bag. Now I am no pro at this...so please don't judge!!


Step 10: This step is optional. As we had guests coming over and it was the festive season I went ahead and sprinkled some festive edible Holly Berries for decoration.