Vegan Carrot Cupcakes

I'm back after my long summer break!...and I'm back for good. ;-)

Hope you all had a fantastic summer and enjoyed your holidays. I checked your blogs and could see that some of you travelled around the world and visited really wonderful places like Greece, Rome, Paris...lucky you!

Those who follow me on Instagram already know how I love carrot cake and (I shouldn't say that for the sake of my reputation but whatever!) how often I like to enjoy a piece of this cake or a carrot cupcake from my favorite vegan bakery in the whole wide world: Lujuria Vegana (in english 'Vegan Lust'). Wether you are or are not vegan the carrot cake and, sincerelly, any cake, cookie or pastry that comes out of their ovens, that vegan chef Toni Rodríguez creates will send your taste buds into pure bliss. I kid you not when I say that their carrot cake is the best vegan dessert one can ever taste, and when they say it's their best-seller it doesn't surprise me cause their cakes could conquer anyone's heart.

Toni's creations inspire me to learn more about the vegan bakery techniques and the vegan gastronomy in general. It was a whole new world to me at first but I'm learning a lot and I feel I'm eating so much better now and I'm so aware of my own body, health and what kind of foods I buy. Now let's talk about the cupcakes:

These carrot and raisins cupcakes from Toni Rodríguez's latest cookbook "Cupcakes Veganos", they are spicy, moist, tender, so very delicious and sweet! I'm so happy with how they came out, I was a bit afraid cause it was the very first time I tried out this recipe but....two thumbs up for me! Hehe. I frosted these cuties with the cream cheese frosting (also vegan, obviously) from the same book.

I would loved it to be a tad bit more thick to get a perfect piping but sooner or later I will find the perfect vegan frosting (read 'the one that chef Toni makes'): not much sweet, thick enough, not too buttery and with a perfect blend of cream and cheese.

Click aquí para la receta en español!

Vegan Carrot Cupcakes

Recipe from the book "Cupcakes Veganos" by Toni Rodríguez.
Yield: 12.

Ingredients
170g flour.
130g brown sugar.
1 tsp baking powder.
1/2 tsp baking soda.
1/2 tsp salt.
150g carrots.
1 tsp cinnamon.
100g water.
90g sunflower oil.
100g raisins.

-For the frosting:
375g vegan cream cheese.
85g margarine.
110g confectioners' sugar.
150g vegan soy whip.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

In a large mixing bowl mix all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon). Grate carrots and squeeze them to gently drain off excess liquid (very important step!).

In a medium saucepan pour the raisins and boil for 10 minutes. Strain out the raisins and blend well.

Add in water, oil, carrots and blended raisins. Mix until smooth.

Fill the liners two thirds full.

Bake for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted through the center of one cupcake comes out clean. Set aside and let cool completely for, at least, 2 hours before using the frosting.

- To make the vegan cream cheese frosting:

In a mixing bowl cream together margarine (softened) and confectioners' sugar until well combined and lumps-free. Add in cream cheese and mix well using a handheld mixer until smooth and creamy. Keep tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to use.

Once fully cooled, frost the cupcakes with the vegan cream cheese frosting and decorate with a bit of ground cinnamon.

Keep your frosted cupcakes refrigerated until serving.