So call me crazy –but one of my absolute all-time favorite dessert is carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. It’s one of those inborn tastes, literally. My mom ate it incessantly when she was pregnant with me, so I was born craving the stuff. She also swears that a glass of fresh-squeezed, cold carrot juice is better than ice cream. Try selling that to my six-year-old daughter! I mean she adores her Tavi (our version of “Savta” – don’t ask) but doesn’t buy the carrot juice thing.
Anyway, back to the cake.
I am not going to mess with developing the ultimate honey cake for Rosh Hashanah. There are several reasons; glad you asked. One: I don’t like honey cake. Can’t perfect a cake you don’t even want to taste. Two: I’m more than happy to use my stepmother-in-law’s recipe – since Hubby already thinks hers is the best. Why mess with the best?
But I start salivating at the thought of creating another version of a carrot cake (or, better yet, a cute little cupcake)! This is my 3rd version of a carrot cupcake. I have one in each book (one sweet, almost cornbread-ish, but super moist; the other slightly spicy with chunks of pineapple). And now I’m ready to present my Carrot Apple Cupcakes with sweet ‘n’ creamy pareve cream cheese icing.
This is the first time I went for the icing.
I don’t particularly like smearing Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (a non-dairy substitute) on bread, but boy, is it great in recipes – from my Macaroni Turkey Salad to my Mini Lemon Tarts! (I always keep a container on hand so a terrific dessert is only minutes away.) Now I’ve put it to fab use in this icing.
So this Rosh Hashanh, enjoy my latest and greatest carrot and “cream cheese” accomplishment. Have a happy, sweet ‘n’ creamy new year.
This recipe makes 10 mini cupcakes which makes for the perfect little sweet treat at the end of the meal. But if this is all you are serving for dessert you may want to double this recipe so each guest can enjoy 2 mini cupcakes.
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Carrot Apple Mini Cupcakes with Non-Dairy Cream Cheese Icing
Servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoon margarine
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup grated carrot
- ¾ cup grated apple
- 1 package non-dairy cream cheese softened (8-ounce package)
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a mini cupcake baking sheet with 10 cupcake liners or lightly grease with baking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine margarine and sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add carrot and apple and mix until moistened. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined.
- Distribute batter evenly to make 10 mini cupcakes and bake 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes and then remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk together non-dairy cream cheese, honey and sugar until smooth. Frost the top of each cupcake with a heaping tablespoon.
It should be fine in this recipe.
Can I substitute oil for the margarine
Hey Nina — we did qualify the package as an 8-ounce package – and do try to be as precise as possible but in general our over 6K recipes come from many contributors and when the recipes are developed and tested in weights and volumes we will include those numbers, but it is still very common in the US to use cups and spoons and most of our community prefers that.
Please could we CONSISTENTLY have weights and volumes given in pounds, ounces or grams, and litres, millilitres etc.
The practice of using ‘cups’, ‘package’ etc in modern recipes is outdated and unworthy of a modern international web site.
all good, total preference – I personally love the tartness of granny smith – even in my apple pies and cobblers…
any specific kind of apple to use for this recipe? would a granny smith be too tart for this? thanks!
The applesauce lends lots of moisture to this recipe (without added fat) so I don’t recommend subbing it with anything and carrots should be grated for texture.
Hey Netta – thrilled you are enJOYing all. If you have a Bosch Universal Mixer you can handle 6lbs of flour and this recipe exactly as is http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/jamie-gellers-challah-recipe/
otherwise just half the recipe exactly for a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
all you need to do is cook a little longer — 20 to 25 minutes total, same test for doneness etc…
without seeing the recipe/understanding why the almond flour was called for in the first place I can only guess that yes it should be fine.
what can you substitute for almond flour? Can you add more flour? I have a recipe that calls for white flour and 1/2 c. almond flour? Can I just add 1/2 c. of white flour?
How would you adapt this for 12 regular size muffins?
This sounds great. Can baby carrots and/or applesauce be substituted for the grated carrots and apples? Many thanks, hg
love your mailings. Can you give me a recipe for challah when making the dough in a bread machine? I live in Toronto, Canada. Thanks a ton. I already receive your newsletters daily.
I live in RBS and they sell Tofutti in Best Market. Where are you?
where can I get non dairy cream cheese in Israel?
YAY!!!!!!!! So happy you and your guests enJOYed thanks so much for letting us know!
yes – start testing for doneness around the 20 minute mark.
awesome awesome awesome! thanks for sharing!
yuparoo! freeze away BUT withOUT the icing.
do cream cheese frostings have to be refrigerated?
yes you do — but should be served at room temp for best taste (and soft cake and cupcakes if already frosted)
Can I freeze the cupcakes. With or without tithe frosting
these are my all time favorite muffin/cupcakes. I make them during the fall and my kids love them. They will eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner and I am at least feeding them fruits and veggies.
looks delicious. would this work as a cake?
I made these this weekend. I doubled the recipe because I had a lot of guests. And I didn’t make the frosting. They were so good they didn’t need it! And they take almost no time to make. I used a hand mixer instead of the electric mixer and they turned out just fine.