Carrot Cake Cupcakes, GF

By MaryEllen

Most carrot cakes are huge—way too much for small households. But there’s no reason you can’t enjoy carrot cake—one of America’s favorite flavors—in cupcake form.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup gluten-free all-purpose blend of choice
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• ¼ cup crushed pineapple, drained thoroughly, 2 tablespoons juice reserved
• ½ cup finely shredded carrots
• ¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds, divided, optional
• 1 recipe Dee’s Cream Cheese Frosting or frosting of choice

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from glutenfreeandmore.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously grease a 6-cup standard-size nonstick muffin pan (gray, not black) or line 6 cups with paper liners.

2. To make the batter, whisk flour blend, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until well blended.

3. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on low speed, beat egg, oil, and 2 tablespoons pineapple juice until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture just until no flour streaks are visible. Stir in pineapple, carrots, coconut, and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts (if using) until completely blended. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.

4. Place in preheated oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Then remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting or frosting of choice. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts for garnish, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

TIPS:

Test after baking 30 minutes; if not done, increase bake time by 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Chill 30 to 40 minutes. Bring to room temperature before frosting.

For a small Carrot Cake, generously grease a 6½-inch to 7-inch nonstick springform pan (gray, not black). Line the pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment. Prepare the batter as instructed. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake 30 to 40 minutes in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake and remove the outer rim. Cool the cake completely on the wire rack. Gently run a knife between the pan bottom and cake to loosen. Invert the cake onto a serving plate and remove the parchment paper. Top with Cream Cheese Frosting, if desired.

Each cupcake without frosting contains 265 calories, 12g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 35mg cholesterol, 171mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 20g sugars, 2g protein, 24Est GL.
Each cupcake with cream cheese frosting contains 437 calories, 20g total fat, 8g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 58mg cholesterol, 209mg sodium, 64g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 45g sugars, 3g protein, 38Est GL.