So… it’s been a while. Almost nine months to be exact. Since then, I graduated with my Master’s degree, got a promotion at work, started TA-ing for a class, and, oh yeah, there was a global pandemic. Needless to say, I’ve been a little busy. Between being the best wife and cat-mom that I can be, while also trying to support my students who are navigating this weird new “normal”, I haven’t had much time to bake. I’ve made things here and there, but finding the time to photograph my bakes and write about them proved to be a bigger challenge. It wasn’t until last week that I even realized it was coming upon a VERY special day: The Baker and the Beast’s first birthday!
Seeing that calendar reminder made me stop and think about why I started this blog in the first place. And it boils down to one super simple reason: I love to bake. Even though life got busy and there’s still that persnickety little pandemic, that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do what I love. And to be honest, I missed baking and writing. I remembered how exciting it was to first start this project last year and how the hours I spent learning about web design, hosting, and search engine optimization seemed to fly by because I was having so much fun (even if it made me want to throw my computer across the room sometimes). More so, I remembered how much I enjoyed engaging in something that was purely for me. So many things in my life are for the service of others (which I LOVE), but this blog’s only purpose is to be a creative outlet for me (and perhaps a source of help and entertainment for you, dear reader!).
I can’t promise I won’t take another nine month break or that another global pandemic won’t stifle things (I certainly hope that doesn’t happen, wear your masks, people!). But what I can promise is that I’m going to be more intentional about carving out space for myself. And right now, that means baking carrot cake cupcakes!
Growing up, I always heard about people’s taste buds changing as they got older, but young Alysha could never really grasp that concept. “What do you mean I won’t like gushers and fruit by the foot anymore?!” Side note, I still LOVE them. But I’ve also come to appreciate things that young Alysha would have never stomached. Carrot cake being one of them. I actually have my husband to thank for! Rakim is a big fan of red velvet cake and carrot cake and because I aim to please, I knew I had to learn how to make them. I was the real winner in this situation because they are two of my new favorite cake flavors! This carrot cake is particularly out of this world amazing!
About the Recipe
The cake is simply bursting with flavor! The carrots and toasted pecans add a delightful texture while the cinnamon and nutmeg remind you it’s officially fall with every bite. The moist cake pairs so perfectly with rich, creamy cream cheese frosting that it’s nearly impossible to practice portion control. Knowing this, I decided to make cupcakes to share with my friends and students as opposed to a cake that would tempt Rakim and I until we caved.
The trickiest part about this recipe was finding carrots. Our CVS, while it has saved me trips to the grocery store many times before, unfortunately did not deliver this time. The closest thing they had was carrot baby food… Lucky for me, I was able to drop by our local market before closing time! And they had carrots! It was quite a learning experience for me because up until then, I realized I had NEVER bought actual carrots before (I guess I’m a baby carrot kind of gal). They were HUGE!
After I calmed down about the size of the carrots, the rest of the recipe was a literal piece of cake! The most time consuming part was actually grating the carrots and toasting the pecans. I went back and forth with myself on if I was actually going to toast them and I’m glad I did. I toasted them in the pre-heated oven and they smelled amazing! I also took some time to make candied carrot strips for a garnish. I’ll share detailed instructions in another post, but I thought the extra effort really up-ed the “wow” factor. Of course, if you bought pre-shredded carrots, don’t have a vegetable peeler, or don’t feel the need to post these for the ‘gram, no need to spend the time. A sprinkle of cinnamon on top of the frosted cupcakes will do the trick too!
I was totally blown away with how these turned out! Even before they were frosted, I could tell by the cute little domes that this was going to be a baking experience that I was proud of, while also being a nice tribute for the blog’s birthday.
All in all, this is definitely a treat that I’ll keep on my fall rotation. Besides nearly inhaling half a pan, the reviews from my students and friends were especially positive. I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know how it turns out for you in the comments. If you feel fancy, put a candle on top and wish the Baker and the Beast a happy first birthday! I did 🙂
Happy baking!
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose flour
- 1½ tsp Baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- 4 Eggs room temperature
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- ½ cup White sugar
- 1 cup Vegetable or canola oil
- 12 oz Carrots, shredded
- 1 cup Pecans, toasted and chopped
- 2 tsp Vanilla
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 2 lb powdered sugar
- 8 oz Cream cheese, softened
- 2 sticks Butter, softened
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¼ cup Heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F and prepare two standard muffin tins
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside
- In a large bowl (or your stand mixer), mix together the eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy
- Add oil and mix until well incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, one cup at a time, and mix
- Once combined, stir in the grated carrots and toasted pecans using a rubber spatula
- Pour batter into the prepared cupcake tins, filling each cavity about two-thirds full
- Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean
- Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions
- In a stand mixer, combine 8 ounces of cream cheese (softened) and 2 sticks of butter (softened), and mix on medium until combined and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes)
- Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, into the cream cheese/butter mixture. Make sure to incorporate each cup well before adding more powdered sugar. Add a splash of heavy cream after each cup of powdered sugar
- Once all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated, add vanilla and salt. Mix for an additional 2 minutes
this is Greg of whynotwalnuts.com. Doesn’t traditional carrot cake have walnuts instead of pecans? Why not walnuts?
Hi Greg! It’s so great to know that folks from the highly esteemed “whynowalnuts.com” read The Baker and the Beast 🙂 I am going to make sure that there’s a recipe that features walnuts soon!
Alysha I made the cake instead of the cupcakes and it was Devine!!!!! My family oohhed and awwwed about how good it smelled and then about how wonderful it tasted! Don’t stay away so long! We need you during this pandemic!!!!
Hi Jazzy J! I’m so glad you and your family liked the recipe!! It’s one of my new favorites. I’ll make sure to share some more recipes soon! Baking has certainly been a bright spot in this pandemic!