Wednesday, September 27

Wednesday Baking II : Carrot cake Muffins with Cinnamon Glaze…


It’s Wednesday today, and just like last week, I’ve had a lovely quiet morning today, filled with baking, a bit of blogging and a
lo-hot of tasting.
This morning I made Carrot cake Muffins.
I just realized this is again a recipe with lots of raisins and cinnamon (!) Talk about coincidence…=)

The recipe is from Delia Smith. I love her Vegetarian Collection - it’s a big, beautiful book with simple and complicated recipes and the most amazing photo’s - even a simple potato looks gorgeous in here.
According to Delia this is the absolute best carrot cake there is. She worked on the recipe for years, carefully analysed it and made a lot of little adjustment over the years.

Changing the recipe seemed very stupid and completely sacrilege, so I followed the instructions precisely...
My only adjustment was the use of little muffin tins instead of two large cake pans. I was very pleased with the outcome; they were a lot easier to make and don’t they look sweet??
I’m very glad I didn’t change a single thing: this is indeed the best carrot cake ever

It’s sweet, dense and spongy and still fairly healthy judging all the ingredients...
You can taste all the different ingredients and flavours, but what really special is, is that not one single thing dominates in this cake – all the lovely flavours work together and are simply a perfect match!

Although I liked the cinnamon glaze, I prefer the muffin served just plain with the syrup…I love this syrup - It’s without a doubt the best addition ever for a carrot cake. It will be perfectly moist (but not wet!) unbelievably sweet and so delicious…
well, you just have to try it yourself ;)


Carrot cake Muffins with Cinnamon Glaze (makes 18 muffins)
base:
- 175g (1 cup packed) dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ dl (2/3 cup) sunflower oil
- 200g (1 2/3 cups) self raising flour (wholemeal)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp mixed spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and white pepper)
- 200g (= 1 ½ cups packed, when grated) carrots, scraped and roughly grated
- zest of one 1 orange
- 100g (½ cup) raisins
- 50g (2/3 cup) grated coconut
- 50g (½ cup) pecan nuts
syrup:
- juice of one little orange
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 75g (½ cup packed, minus 3 Tbsp) dark brown sugar
glaze:
- 125g (1/2 cup) mascarpone
- 100g (1/2 cup) fresh cream cheese (8%fat)
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 3 tsp brown sugar
- 50g (½ cup) pecan nuts (for the topping)

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F)
Make the cinnamon glaze first: whip all ingredients together until they’re creamy, cover with plastic foil and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Divide all the pecan nuts (100g) over a baking sheet. Grill for 6 minutes and turn oven back to 170°C (325°F)

2. Cut half of the amount of nuts roughly up for the cake base, and the rest very finely for the topping.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar, eggs and oil for about 2 to 3 minutes, until sugar is completely dissolved. Sift flour, baking soda and mixed spices (put back the grains!) stir and add the ingredients to the cake base.

4. Butter and flour a muffin pan and a small cake pan. Pour base in forms (don’t fill them completely! About 2/3) and bake for 30 minutes, well risen and firm. When they stick to their forms, bake for another 2 to 3 minutes and check again. Leave them in their tins and make the syrup.

5. For the syrup: whisk together both citrus fruits and add in the sugar. Mix well. Prick (with a toothpick) little holes in the muffins/cake and divide and pour over the syrup.

6. Let cool completely. Take them out off their forms and spread (if you wish...) with cinnamon glaze. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and enjoy…

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh....so unfair that I am on a diet right now....I want one of those really bad.

Karen Baking Soda said...

Hoi Julia! Leuk om een andere Nederlandse blogger te vinden. Bedankt voor je mail/comments. Ik was al helemaal jaloers dat jij wel labels kunt aanbrengen...maar ik zie nu dat je beta gebruikt =(
Tsja..geen idee of ik dat nu nog kan veranderen.....Jij wel?

Karen Baking Soda said...

Oeps..bijna vergeten! En natuurlijk geweldige muffins, carrotmuffins zijn mijn favo.

Mademoiselle Différentielle said...

Oh Julia, I love they way your blogging! Yesterday morning, when I sipped my daily 10-o'clock-make-a-pause-from-learning tea, I thought of you, knowing that you were probably in the kitchen making something sweet and tasty and I wondered what it would be and checked several times your blog.

Mademoiselle Différentielle said...

ehem, pause= break... sorry...

Anonymous said...

Hi Julia! You know me, I love anything miniature! The mini carrot-cake muffins are just adorable! Carrot cake is definately one of my favourite treats - so it's nice to see it in such a nice, easy to handle form!

Julia said...

Hi Peabody!
Oh no, how can that be? You make so many delicious, mouth-watering things! Who’s eating your creations now? (subtle hint if you need somebody:…I’m volunteering! ) =)

Haha, thanks Natalia! That thought popped as well in my head…but disappeared also really quickly again(!) =)

dank je wel Baking Soda! Dat is helemaal geen probleem hoor - ik had ook eerst ‘gewone’ blogger (en heb toen ook al erg lang geprutst met zelf catagories maken…) maar overswitchen is heel simpel!

Oh, mademoiselle differentielle - thank you so much, that is so nice to hear! My whole face was one big smile when I read your comment =) haha, yes I already thought you meant break (pause means here in Holland as well break!)

Hi Gilly! No, way! You’re kidding! Haha, I thought so after your small quiches, lovely mini coffeebites and delicious choc. cream cheese bites…=)
thanks for your comment!

Gattina Cheung said...

Julia,
what a lovely cupcake! I haven't used sunflower oil in baking, let me try next time!

Brilynn said...

Those are so cute! I love the look of miniature items but I'm such a clutz when I try to make them myself.