Easter Carrot Cupcakes

Total Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups carrots, grated
• 1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
• 1 cup pineapple, diced (fresh or canned, juice drained)
• 2 cups flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 6 cups icing sugar
• 2 lemons, zest and juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large piece of shredded wheat
• 3 tablespoons golden syrup
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 ounces marzipan or 4 ounces almond paste
• 3 tablespoons ground walnuts
• food coloring

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 2 in a large bowl, combine carrots, walnuts, pineapple, and 1/2 cup of the flour. mix and set aside.
• 3 in a medium bowl, sift remaining flour and combine with cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
• 4 in a large bowl, combine eggs and sugar and whip with a hand mixer until just comined, then slowly add vegetable oil until emulsified.
• 5 fold flour mixture into egg batter until well combined, then stir in carrot mixture. line cupcake tins with liners and spoon in batter, filling about three-quarters full. bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
• 6 transfer to a rack; let cool.
• 7 frosting: in a stand mixer, combine butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest and vanillla and whip until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
• 8 makes 24 cups.
• 9 tip: this recipe works well as a cake,. pour batter into a round (10-inch) cake and place in a 350f oven for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. transfer to rack; let cool and cover with frosting (same amount as used for cupcakes).
• 10 optional garnish: into a bowl, break shredded wheat into small pieces and set aside.
• 11 in a small pan over low heat add syrup and butter, cook until butter is melted. pour in shredded wheat and mix to coat. let cool until warm enough to form into 1-inch nest.
• 12 knead marzipan with ground walnuts until well mixed. divide marzipan into three parts and add desired food coloring. form into small eggs in nest and place genetly atop cupcakes.