9 October 2014  |  Food, Recipes

I’m ruined for carrot cake. Because of these muffins.

Carrot Muffins with Lime-Mascarpone Frosting

Carrot cake. That was the project. Not just any carrot cake, but my ideal carrot cake. It would have to be moist, flavorful and chock-full of carrots, fruit and nuts.  No piddly carrot shreds hiding in an average cake batter, no this would be hearty enough to be a “muffin” yet still sweet enough to stand in for dessert (especially when paired with lime-mascarpone frosting). And it would pass the Dusty test.

I made these muffins a few weeks ago, and then made the mistake of ordering carrot cake for dessert at a restaurant a few days later. After a few half-hearted bites, I stopped. What I really wanted, was MY carrot cake. Something with a little more OOMPH.

So without further ado…

Carrot Muffins

2c shredded carrots (I used a box grater)

1c shredded apple

1/2c raisins or currants

1/2c walnuts or pecans

1/2c shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2c brown sugar

1c whole wheat flour

1tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

1tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp nutmeg

3 eggs

1/4c olive oil (or other oil)

-preheat oven to 425, and line a standard muffin pan with paper liners

-in a bowl, combine first 5 ingredients

-in a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and spices

-mix together the eggs and the olive oil

-add olive oil mixture to flour mixture and stir until almost combined, then stir in the carrot mixture and mix until no flour pockets remain

-fill 12 muffin cups and bake until toothpick comes out clean

-cool 10mins in the pan on a wire rack, then remove and cool completely before frosting (or eat unfrosted while still warm!)

Lime-Mascarpone Frosting

12oz mascarpone cheese (can sub cream cheese)

1/4c plain yogurt

1/3c powdered sugar

juice and zest of 1 lime

1/2tsp vanilla

-combine all ingredients and whip until smooth