INGREDIENTS

approx. 18 muffins

Cupcakes:

3 dl flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt
1,5 tsp ground cinnamon
3,5 dl finely shredded carrots
1,5 dl sugar
1 dl brown sugar
2 eggs
0,5 dl apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil

Pecan Tosca:

100 g butter
½ dl white sugar
½ dl brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp milk
80 g chopped pecan nuts 

Frosting:

120 g butter
225 g cream cheese
8 dl icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla sugar 

Decoration:

50 g fondant icing
5 drops of orange food colouring
1 pinch cacao powder
Fresh lemon balm leaves

HOW TO

Put the oven on 175 degrees C (gas mark 4)and put muffin cups in a muffin pan.

Start with the pecan tosca. Heat butter, white sugar, brown sugar, milk and flour on low temperature until it thickens. Take off the stove and put in the fridge to cool.

Then move on to the muffins. Start by shredding the carrots. Mix flour, baking powder, bicarbonat of soda, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Then take a new bowl and mix the sugar, brown sugar and eggs until slightly pale. Mix in apple sauce and vanilla and then slowly add the oil. Mix in the dry ingredients and lastly the carrots.

Pour the mixture into the muffin cups, about 2/3. Take about 1 tsp of the tosca mix and roll it into a ball. Place one ball in the middle of each muffin cup. Bake for 20 minutes. Leave the muffins to cool.

Frosting:

Mix together butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and vanilla sugar. Use a piping bag to decorate the cupcakes, once they are cool.

Decoration:

Mix the food colouring with the sugar paste. Form them into small carrots. Dip a tooth pick in cocoa powder and use it to make marks on the carrots. Use the tip of the tooth pick to make a hole on top of the carrot and stick a lemon balm leaf in it. Place the carrot on top of the cup cake and roll the sides gently in crushed pecan nuts.

Pour yourself and nice cup of coffee and enjoy these gorgeous muffins!

Recipe and photo: Elisabeth Samuelsson