Carrot Cupcakes
My sister Joanne was once a major disciple of Susan Powter, author of the “Stop the Insanity” series and the face that launched a trillion potato recipes. We McKenna girls eagerly adopted her fat-free mantra “One slice of cheese or ten baked potatoes?!” and happily toted Molly McButtered bagels to school each day. We even developed our own carrot muffin that had less than 1 gram of fat. Of course, over time, counting fat grams on the hour tends to incite insanity rather than stop it. Today everyone knows that good fats in the right amount are a beneficial part of your diet. This recipe makes no pretense of being fat-free, but it’s got all the best stuff in all the right places.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 24
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the oil, agave nectar, rice milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir until a thick batter is formed. Add the hot water and continue mixing until the batter is smooth. Using a plastic spatula, gently fold in the carrots just until they are evenly distributed throughout batter.
Step 3
Pour 1/3 cup batter into each prepared cup, almost filling it. Bake the cupcakes on the center rack for 25 minutes, rotating the tins 180 degrees after 14 minutes. The finished cupcakes will bounce back slightly when pressed, and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
Step 4
Let the cupcakes stand in the tins for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely. Using a frosting knife, gently spread 1 tablespoon vanilla frosting over each cupcake. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
