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- 18 September 2017 < Back to gossip

Carrot, apple and walnut cupcakes

Chopping the apple rather than grating it does take an extra minute or two but it is well worth it. You get lovely little nuggets of apple as you bite into the cupcake. Icing is optional – looks pretty but it does add calories of course.

TIME

Prep: 20 minutes

Cooking: 18 minutes 

MAKES 12

  • 100g finely grated carrot
  • 1 apple, cored and cut into small cubes (about 125g prepared weight)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • finely grated zest of 1 orange
  • 50g walnuts, chopped (optional)
  • 100g runny honey
  • pinch of salt
  • 85ml light olive oil
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 125g self-raising wholemeal flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

ICING (OPTIONAL)

  • 50g butter, softened
  • 150g soft cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • finely grated zest of 1 orange, plus extra to decorate
  • 12 walnut halves
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases.
  2. Put the grated carrot in a large bowl. Add the apple (reserving some to garnish), cinnamon, orange zest, walnuts, if using, and the honey. Add a pinch of salt, the oil and the eggs and whisk together. Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarb into the bowl and fold them in until the mixture is well combined.
  3. Divide the mixture among the paper cases and smooth the top with a spatula, then scatter over the reserved apple pieces.
  4. Bake the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes, or until risen and springy to the touch. Remove them from the oven and leave them in the tin for 5 minutes, then place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. For the icing, if using, beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Beat in the maple syrup and orange zest. Once the cupcakes are cool, spread them with the icing, place a walnut on top of each and scatter with a little orange zest.

160 CALORIES PER CAKE, 251 CALORIES PER CAKE WITH ICING