Are you ready for Easter? It’s about time to decide what to cook and bake and what kind of decorations you might want to use for the festivities. Is there something you always have for Easter? Like a traditional bake or dish? For us it’s definitely a braided yeast loaf/challah – with or without filling, doesn’t matter. And Carrot Cake Cupcakes. Easter would not be perfect without them. These little fellas are soo good, you should definitely try someday!
II always tell my friends “Easter is the better Christmas”, u know? Both holidays are days where the family and friends come together, eat, talk and have fun. One is in winter and the other one is in spring. I like springtime much more, maybe that’s the reason I prefer Easter ;)
Great food, nice decorations and of course nice weather (most of the time)! If you compare the two holidays, the food is also very different. In winter you have all those heavy dishes, a lot of meat and stuff. The food that is being served at Easter is much lighter in our house. More veggies, more fruits, berries, and nuts for example. I’d say not only lighter but also healthier ;) If you look at one of the favorite German Christmas bakes called “Christstollen” – that is a heavy yeast bake with tons of sugar. Created to get you through a tough winter ;)
These Carrot Cake Cupcakes, on the other hand, are light, fluffy, not too sweet and plain awesome with the cream cheese frosting and the little marzipan carrots. Much better than any Christstollen could ever be! ;)
The recipe for these delicious cupcakes is one of many I created for Seeberger. You can find it on their special Easter Website* with Easter recipes and DIY tips. If you are from Germany, you probably know Seeberger already. The company is originated in lovely Ulm (not too far from where I grew up) and selling all kinds of nuts, dried fruits, muesli and such. You can’t miss their products if you go into a supermarket here – they always have a huge selection on display. I really like the stuff cause the quality is really nice.
The recipes I created are all made with one or more of the Seeberger products – for example, walnuts and coconut flakes (like those I used for these cupcakes), hazelnuts, pine nuts, almonds, poppy seed… they let my use basically everything I wanted ;) The recipes are mostly sweet stuff, but there is also something savory available, so visit the site and check it out! I think you will like it.
Besides the recipes, you can also find some inspiration for Easter decorations. Maybe you want to make a nice Easter nest so the Easter bunny can hide some sweets for you ;) The DIY stuff is really easy to make – even I could do it. The little bunnies for the silverware on the plate were made in no time for example.
The recipes and DIY instructions are part of an Easter Special in the supermarkets that sell Seeberger products. In stores that participate, you get a little Easter surprise when buying products from Seeberger for a limited time. Can’t tell you what it will because then there would be no surprise anymore, but I heard it’s nice ;))
Note for the cupcakes: When making the topping, you should make sure the cream cheese is drained and you got rid of as much liquid as possible – makes it easier to work with. So let the cream cheese drain or place it on some paper towels so the liquid gets sucked up. You will get a much nicer topping!
Well… enough said. Have fun preparing your Easter brunch or breakfast. There will be some more Easter recipes coming up I think. Check back from time to time.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups (200g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 cups (300g) Seeberger cane sugar (fine)
2/3 cup (160ml) vegetable oil
1/3 cup (90g) applesauce
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (180g) finely grated carrots
2.2 oz (60g) Seeberger walnuts, chopped
1.4 oz. (40g) Seeberger coconut flakes
For the frosting:
1/2 cup (120g) butter
6 oz. (170g) cream cheese, room temperature
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups (320g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
For the decoration:
3.5 oz. (100g) marzipan
confectioner’s sugar
food color (orange/green)
chopped Seeberger walnuts
Für die Cupcakes:
200g Mehl (Type 405)
1 TL Backpulver
1/4 TL Natron
1/4 TL Salz
1 1/2 TL Zimt
1/4 TL gemahlener Ingwer
300g Seeberger Rohrzucker (fein)
160ml Pflanzenöl
90g Apfelmus
3 Eier (L), Zimmertemperatur
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
180g geraspelte Karotten
60g Seeberger Walnusskerne, gehackt
40g Seeberger Kokosnuss geraspelt
Für das Frosting:
120g Butter
170g Frischkäse, Zimmertemperatur
1 Prise Salz
320g Puderzucker, gesiebt
Für die Dekoration:
100g Marzipan
Puderzucker
Lebensmittelfarbe (orange/grün)
gehackte Seeberger Walnusskerne
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. In a bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and set aside.
3. In a large bowl mix the cane sugar, oil, and applesauce until smooth and well combined. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing after each addition just until combined. Fold in grated carrots, chopped walnuts, and coconut flakes.
4. Fill the batter into the prepared paper liners – each one about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
5. While the cupcakes are baking, you can prepare the carrots for the decoration. Use about 2/3 of the marzipan for the carrots itself and color it with orange food color – add green food color to the remaining marzipan for the green parts of the carrots. Be careful with the food colors – add them only drop by drop. Incorporate some confectioner’s sugar if the marzipan gets too sticky. Form small carrots with green leaves and set aside.
6. For the frosting brown the butter by melting it in a small pot over medium-high heat. Cook until it begins to brown, but not burn. It will start smelling kind of nutty. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Pour in a heatproof bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour – it should thicken but not be completely solid. Beat the chilled browned butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add salt and confectioner’s sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Fill into a piping bag and decorate the cupcakes with a nice swirl of the frosting. Place a small carrot on top and sprinkle with some chopped walnuts.
2. Das Mehl mit Backpulver, Natron, Salz, Zimt und Ingwer in einer Schüssel vermischen und zur Seite stellen.
3. In einer großen Schüssel Rohrzucker, Öl und Apfelmus verrühren. Eier und Vanille Extrakt zugeben und verrühren. Mehlmischung in zwei Portionen zugeben und jeweils nur kurz unterrühren. Geraspelte Karotten, gehackte Walnusskerne und Kokosraspeln unterheben.
4. Den Teig in die Papierförmchen füllen, die Förmchen sollten dabei nur etwa 2/3 voll werden. Für 15-17 Minuten backen – mit einem Zahnstocher testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt und erst herausnehmen, wenn der Zahnstocher sauber herauskommt. Aus dem Ofen nehmen und auf einem Kuchengitter auskühlen lassen.
5. Während die Cupcakes backen, können die Deko-Karotten vorbereitet werden. Für die Karotten etwa 2/3 des Marzipans verwenden und mit der orangen Lebensmittelfarbe einfärben – den Rest mit grün färben und für das Karottengrün verwenden. Vorsicht: beim Färben tröpfchenweise arbeiten – die benötigte Färbung ist oft schneller erreicht als man denkt. Etwas Puderzucker zugeben und verarbeiten, falls das Marzipan zu klebrig wird. Kleine Karotten mit grünen Blättern formen und zur Seite legen.
6. Für das Frosting die Butter in einem kleinen Topf bei mittlerer Hitze schmelzen. So lange kochen, bis sie anfängt braun zu werden – sie sollte aber nicht verbrennen. Wenn es anfängt nussig zu riechen, ist es richtig. Vom Herd nehmen und für 10 Minuten abkühlen lassen. In eine hitzebeständige Schüssel füllen, abdecken und im Kühlschrank für etwa eine Stunde abkühlen lassen. Die Butter sollte wieder etwas angedickt haben, aber nicht fest sein. Die gekühlte Butter zusammen mit dem Frischkäse cremig aufschlagen. Salz und Puderzucker zugeben und alles so lange aufschlagen, bis es hell und luftig ist. In einen Spritzbeutel füllen und die Cupcakes dekorieren. Eine kleine Karotte auf das Frosting geben und mit gehackten Walnüssen bestreuen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
- 1 1/2 cups (200g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) Seeberger cane sugar (fine)
- 2/3 cup (160ml) vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup (90g) applesauce
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) finely grated carrots
- 2.2 oz (60g) Seeberger walnuts, chopped
- 1.4 oz. (40g) Seeberger coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter
- 6 oz. (170g) cream cheese, room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 2 1/2 cups (320g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 3.5 oz. (100g) marzipan
- confectioner’s sugar
- food color (orange/green)
- chopped Seeberger walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175°C). Line muffin tin(s) with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix the cane sugar, oil, and applesauce until smooth and well combined. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing after each addition just until combined. Fold in grated carrots, chopped walnuts and coconut flakes.
- Fill the batter into the prepared paper liners – each one about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the cupcakes are baking, you can prepare the carrots for the decoration. Use about 2/3 of the marzipan for the carrots itself and color it with orange food color – add green food color to the remaining marzipan for the green parts of the carrots. Be careful with the food colors – add them only drop by drop. Incorporate some confectioner’s sugar if the marzipan gets too sticky. Form small carrots with green leaves and set aside.
- For the frosting brown the butter by melting it in a small pot over medium-high heat. Cook until it begins to brown, but not burn. It will start smelling kind of nutty. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Pour in a heatproof bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour – it should thickened but not be completely solid. Beat the chilled browned butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add salt and confectioner’s sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Fill into a piping bag and decorate the cupcakes with a nice swirl of the frosting. Place a small carrot on top and sprinkle with some chopped walnuts.
- Enjoy baking!
I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;)
