Carrot cake-muffins

Sometimes it’s hard to know where muffin leaves off and cupcake begins…

Is it the method – a brief stir with a wooden spoon, instead of using a food mixer? The nod towards “healthiness” – wholewheat flour, oil instead of butter, fruit instead of chocolate chips, going au naturel instead of sporting icing?

These carrot cake-muffins don’t do much to resolve the issue. Muffin by method and ingredients, the end result is so delicious it feels disingenuous to consider them a breakfast food.

And that’s before you add a generous spreading of the optional cream cheese icing..;-)

On the other hand – iced or un-iced – they certainly don’t need buttering, and remain beautifully moist for days.

Carrot cake muffins
(makes 12)

• 1 ¾ cups flour (I use a cup of white flour and 3/4 cup of wholewheat)
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple (drained)
• 1/4 cup raisins

For the icing (optional):

• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 2 Tb icing sugar (or to taste)
• a squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (185°C). Line or grease a twelve-cup muffin tin.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and oil. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
4. Add the carrot, pineapple and raisins and mix again.
5. Divide the mixture between the muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
6. If icing the muffins, stir the cream cheese and icing sugar together in a small bowl. Thin with a bit of lemon juice if necessary, to achieve a spreadable consistency.
7. When the muffins are cool, spread with the cream cheese icing and serve.

Tags: carrots, cupcakes, dairy-free, muffins, pineapple, vegetarian