These Vegan Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are light, fluffy and decadently delicious.
The day before Thanksgiving was supposed to be a half day at work and a full day of fun. I couldn't wait to get home and start planning Thanksgiving dinner, and share with you this awesome recipe for vegan carrot cupcakes. Yesterday was also special because it marked an exact whole year since I started posting recipes on Holy Cow!
Instead, I spent the afternoon and evening glued to the television and computer, trying to get in touch with friends and watching in horror as Bombay, the city where I lived all my life before moving to the United States, reeled under terror.Each of those places targeted had special meaning for me. It hurt to see the blood-soaked lobby of the Victoria Terminus through which I had walked every morning and evening for six years, along with thousands of other commuters eager to get to work and back home. It hurt to watch the beautiful Taj Mahal Hotel, which I had toured with the hotel's architecture official while working on a story about Heritage buildings in the city, go up in flames. And it hurt to hear that the Oberoi lobby, where I had often hung out with friends, most memorably to catch a glimpse of Michael Jackson when he toured India, had been set on fire by the terrorists.
When I last heard from my friends in Bombay, many of them were still holed up in their homes or workplaces, hoping for an end to their long-drawn nightmare. Sadly, the terror is still not over as I write this, but hopefully it will be soon. And I know that Bombay will once again get back on its feet. The residents of Bombay are incredibly resilient and strong. They may not forget this ordeal any time soon, but rest assured, they will not let it hold them back.Because I'd already written out this carrot cupcake post, I'm just going to run it below. Thanks, everyone, for reading.***
'Tis the season for all things orange-- pumpkins, sweet potatoes.... and carrots!
The other day, I got a huge bag of lovely, fresh organic carrots and all the way home I dreamed of the luscious vegan carrot cake I was going to bake up. I even had some vegan cream cheese tucked away in the refrigerator for the frosting, so I was all set.
But when I actually rolled up my sleeves to begin, I was hit by an urge to bake cute little vegan carrot cupcakes instead. I love cupcakes because they have built-in portion control, which means you are less likely to overindulge no matter how delicious they are. Besides, who can resist a cute l'il baby cake festooned with icing? Not me.
I adapted this recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World which has become my cupcake bible. The result was a fluffy and moist cupcake and I loved the crunch of the nuts with the sweet squishy bite of the juicy golden raisins.
So here is the recipe for these amazing vegan carrot cupcakes. Enjoy, everyone!
Also check out my vegan carrot cake.
Vegan Carrot Cupcakes with "Cream Cheese" Frosting
Ingredients
- For the carrot cupcakes:
- 2/3 rd cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 2/3 cup turbinado sugar (can use regular)
- 1/3 cup canola or other flavorless vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup plain soy yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup carrots , finely grated
- 1/3 cup walnuts , lightly roasted then chopped
- 1/3 cup raisins
- A pinch of salt
- For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup walnuts , lightly toasted then chopped
- 1/4 cup vegan "cream cheese" (I used Tofutti's Better Than Cream Cheese)
- 2 tbsp transfat-free shortening
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the cupcakes:
- In a mixing bowl, mix together sugar, vegetable oil, yogurt, ginger and vanilla.
- Sift into the bowl the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix until smooth.
- Add the carrots, walnuts and raisins and mix in.
- Line a muffin tin with liners and spray with oil.
- Fill the liners about 2/3rds of the way up.
- Bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for 26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool thoroughly on a rack before frosting.
- Make the "cream cheese" frosting:
- Mix together the shortening, cream cheese, vanilla and confectioner's sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Fold in the chopped walnuts.
- Slather the cupcakes with the frosting.
These are our favorite cupcakes. We make them all the time and can't have enough.
Yes Nisha, it is 2/3 cup. You don't need a lot of flour for this recipe. Have fun baking!