Recipe: Birthday Spiced Carrot Coconut Cupcakes – With Photos! Yay!

I love to bake.  Like, really love to bake.  Oh, who am I kidding, I really love all cooking, but baking sometimes results in cupcakes and that makes me especially fond of it.  These particular — very Marthaesque — cupcakes I made for my birthday were so. dang. awesome. (and tasty!) I felt I would be remiss if I did not document the process and share it with anyone who might benefit from the recipe.  And if I may be so bold, you will ALL benefit from this recipe.

First, a nod to my friend Rhonda (Caden’s Momma), who baked these for me as a thank you for photographing her son.  It was the first time I’d ever tasted carrot cake and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again.  She says it counts as a vegetable (CARROTS!  CARROT PUREE!), and I choose to believe her.  And no, the fact that I got a scale as a birthday present has nothing to do with this.  Probably.  Maybe.

Spiced Carrot Coconut Cupcakes

Makes ~32 cupcakes or 1 regular cake

CARROT CAKE
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 ¾ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups corn oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups grated carrot (about 1 large, or 3 small carrots)
2 jars (4 oz each) carrot puree (baby food)
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

CREAM CHEESE ICING
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup shredded sweetened coconut, toasted under a broiler for ~2 minutes, for garnish

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Prepare cupcake tins or spray two 9-inch cake pans with vegetable-oil cooking spray.

TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES:

Sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and kosher salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla and add to the dry ingredients. Beat on low speed for about 1 minute.  Add the grated carrot, carrot puree, and coconut and mix until just incorporated.  Pour the batter into prepared pans (fill cups about 2/3rds full, ~¼ cup of batter per cupcake) and bake until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes come out clean, 20-24 minutes for cupcakes, 40 to 50 minutes for 9-inch cakes.  Do not overcook.  Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool completely.

TO MAKE THE ICING:

Sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together at medium speed the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and kosher salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once, until the mixture is smooth, with no lumps, 1 to 2 minutes.  Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until light, fluffy, and well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.

TO ASSEMBLE CUPCAKES:

Fill a gallon-sized plastic bag with icing and twist the top to push icing down into one corner of the bag.  Cut a ¼” hole in the bottom corner and use this makeshift pastry bag to squeeze a swirl of icing on each cooled cupcake.  If the icing is too soft, pop the bag in the freezer for 5 minutes.  Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted coconut.

TO ASSEMBLE A REGULAR OL’ CAKE:

Place 1 cake, flat-side up, on a platter. Spread part of the icing over the top of the cake. Top with the second cake, flat-side up, and spread the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake. Just before serving, decorate with toasted coconut.

ENJOY, because I sure as heck did. :)  And now… to the gym!