Prep Time: 20 minutes. Bake Time: 20-25 minutes. Makes: 12 Cupcakes
Halloween Pumpkin Spice & Carrot Cupcakes- Classic Autumn flavours with a great Halloween theme! Halloween is that time of the year when you can start to experiment with baking, decorating and having fun. The time of year is also great as it’s starting to get cold and you can use all the autumn and winter spice flavours for all your exciting bakes! Whether you like scary looking bakes, traditional Halloween bakes or just simply fun bakes you’re almost guaranteed to enjoy what ever you bake!
This year we wanted to share our classic recipe with you as we know that due to COVID-19 and the restrictions for this year, trick or treating is cancelled and most of you will spend the day at home with your families. Although this may have not been what you planned, spending the day at home can be even better. You’re out of the cold, you can eat all the sweets and chocolate you brought for trick or treaters yourself and you can really go all out and decorate the house however you like!
As we all know that pumpkin is the main staple for Halloween baking but using pumpkin spice to get the flavours in is much more simple that carving, chopping and maybe even making a puree out of the pumpkin much easier! (A lot of you have said as well that pumpkins have been sold out for the last few weeks so this is a great alternative). Also with all the sweets the kids will be eating this is a great way to get in some good vitamins with the carrots! Also as Halloween lands on a Saturday this year it’s even better as you can make a really fun weekend out of it!
Take a look at the recipe below:
Ingredients Needed:
-140g softened butter, extra for greasing
-200g caster sugar (substitutes available on Android and iOS)
-275g grated carrots
– 2 eggs lightly beaten (substitutes available on Android and iOS)
-200g self-raising flour
-1tsp ground cinnamon/ pumpkin spice.
-1tsp baking powder
-75g mixed chopped nuts (substitutes available on Android and iOS)
-125g raisins (substitutes available on Android and iOS)
-50ml orange juice.
For the topping:
-175g icing sugar
-75g softened butter
-3tsp ground cinnamon/pumpkin spice
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/ 350F/ 180C and line a 12 hole muffin tray with cases.
2. Next soak the raisins in the orange juice for around 10 minutes and while they’re soaking grate the carrots and dry any excess water with kitchen towel.
3. Now cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually add in the eggs one at a time and combine well.
4. Then add in the grated carrots and mix until well combined.
5. Next sieve in the flour and baking powder and mix well. Then add in the cinnamon, nuts and raisins.
6. Pour the mixture into each case filling about 3/4 full and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. To check if they’re cooked all the way through, place a butter knife through the centre and if it comes out clean then the cupcakes are done. Let the cupcakes cool for around 15 minutes before you remove them from the tin to decorate.
7. While the cupcakes are cooling make the icing topping. Start by mixing the butter and icing sugar using a wooden spoon until light and creamy then mix in the cinnamon/pumpkin spice. Once the cupcakes have cooled remove from the tin and spread/pipe the icing mix over the top and decorate.
8. To make the pumpkin decorations, roll orange fondant into balls and using cake decorating tools make indented lines around the balls to resemble a pumpkin texture. Then using green fondant, make small leaves. Remember this doesn’t have to be too neat: you can have fun making any shapes and decorations you like for your cupcakes!
Happy Baking and Happy Halloween!
