These are truly melt in the mouth cupcakes and so easy. This is my sisters recipe – she made them for Harry’s 1st birthday party. People gathered around the food table saying things like “…oh have you tried the cupcakes?” “Oh yes, aren’t the heavenly…” I piped in saying things like “…Oh yes but did you try the chocolate crackles, or the rocky road that I made, aren’t they heavenly too?…”

Pathetic really. I think I need to come to terms with the fact I am a pretty average baker.

Tip: Store the iced cupcakes in the refrigerator, but allow them to stand at room temperature for a few minutes before serving

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup plain flour
• ½ cup plus 1 tbs, caster sugar
• ¾ teaspoon bicarb soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup oil (mild flavour i.e. sunflower)
• 1 large egg
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup, firmly packed grated carrot
• ¼ cup well-drained crushed pineapple (unsweetened)
• (Cream Cheese Icing)
• 60g cream cheese, softened
• 30g butter, softened
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C (160 fan-forced) -

Step 2

Line a muffin pan with cupcake cases. -

Step 3

Stir flour, caster sugar, bicarb, cinnamon and walnuts together in a large bowl until well combined. -

Step 4

In a small bowl, stir oil, egg, vanilla, carrot and pineapple together until well combined. Add carrot mixture to dry ingredients. Stir ingredients together until just combined. Divide mixture evenly between the ten cases. -

Step 5

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out without any batter attached -

Step 6

Remove pan from oven and allow cupcakes to cool for about five minutes before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely. -

Step 7

(Icing) Using electric beaters, beat cream cheese and butter together in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Add the lemon juice and sift in half the icing sugar. Beat until combined. Sift in remaining icing sugar, and beat until icing is smooth. Pipe or spread onto the cooled cupcakes  -