Create an Easter family favourite with Haskins Garden Centres’ carrot cupcakes

Easter is a time to indulge in your favourite springtime treats. Haskins has created a carrot cupcake recipe just in time for Easter, also serving as a reminder to gardeners that now is the time to begin sowing carrot seeds. Edible flowers also make a delightful finishing touch on top of the cupcakes.

 

Ingredients (makes 12 cupcakes):

  • 150ml sunflower oil, plus a little for the tin
  • 175g light muscovado sugar
  • 200g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp mixed spice
  • 1 orange, zested and juiced (save the juice for the syrup)2 large eggs
  • 50g natural yogurt
  • 200g carrots, about 2 large ones, peeled and grated

 

For the topping:

  • 50ml runny honey
  • 150g mascarpone
  • 100g thick natural yogurt
  • 75g icing sugar, sieved

 

Method:

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and oil a 12-hole muffin tin, or line it with muffin cases.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and orange zest.
  3. Whisk together the eggs, oil and yogurt, then stir into the dry ingredients along with the grated carrots.
  4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, or divide between the cases, if using, then bake for 20-22 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  5. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and leave them to cool a little.
  6. To make the syrup, heat the honey and orange juice in a pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for a minute until syrupy.
  7. Spoon a few teaspoons over each cake while still warm, then leave to cool completely.
  8. For the icing, mix the mascarpone, yogurt and icing sugar until just combined (if you over-mix, it will become runny).
  9. Use a palette or cutlery knife to swirl the icing on top of the cakes, drizzle with a little more honey.