Hello all you fine people, hope your October is going splendidly. I have finished two of three half marathons for the month (in Victoria, BC and Chattanooga, TN) and am currently spending the week in Iowa for work before heading to Oregon for my final race. Quite the trip seeing several friends and doing all the races, but I’m sure I’ll be glad to be home next week.

In any case, I’ve gone back to my usual sugary treats and have a lovely cupcake recipe for you today. During the month of September I gave up foods with added sugar (which was awful and I’ll probably never do that again) and so the first weekend of October I went a little crazy with the baking and made pumpkin bread, these cupcakes, and a surprise bonus post for next week. (Spoiler: it involves pumpkin.) I used new mini loaf pans for the pumpkin bread and they worked fantastically. (These pans, if you’re curious.)

I’d been wanting to make these cupcakes for awhile now, but carrot always feels like fall to me so I put it off all summer long. Although the original recipe is not spiced, I used spices from another Cupcake Project recipe I’d made several years ago. I’d enjoyed the latter recipe greatly but with the multitude of flavors going on it was just a bit overwhelming for me. When she posted her “spring” version earlier this year, it seemed much more my speed.

A light carrot and honey flavor enhanced with a few fall spices makes for a wonderful and somewhat unique flavor. The texture of the cupcake is fantastic and they rose perfectly for me which is always a nice surprise. Also, I tried out these cupcake liners I bought at Costco earlier this year and they are AMAZING. They unwrap from the cupcake with absolutely zero sticking which I was extremely excited about. Cannot recommend them enough.

In any case, if you’re looking for a fall treat that is maybe a little different from the norm, these are the cupcakes for you. I decided to pair them with the frosting from the original recipe because it is incredible and a totally different flavor from the usual maple and cinnamon of the season.

I hope you enjoy the concoction or use the recipes to create your own. And also check back next week for a fun Halloween idea.

Cardamom Carrot Cupcakes

Adapted from Cupcake Project
Makes about 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp

2 eggs

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 18 cupcake wells with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Mix in honey and butter (yes, by hand) until completely combined.
4. Stir in eggs one at a time, then add lemon juice.
5. Fold in carrots and crystallized ginger.
6. Fill each cupcake well with about 1/4 cup of batter, and bake 20 minutes. Tops should spring back when pressed gently.
7. Let cool completely, then frost as desired.

Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting

Borrowed from Cupcake Project
Frosts 14-20 cupcakes

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. This will take a couple of minutes.
2. Gently stir in powdered sugar one cup at a time, adding more or less if you prefer a stiffer or looser frosting, respectively.
3. Beat in cardamom and vanilla until completely combined and mixture is fluffy again, about 30 seconds.
4. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes and enjoy.