The Story:
I live in a college apartment. Which does not have a good oven, I am without a food processor (so I have to hand grate all my carrots) and the lighting situation for photos does not always work out. The bright sunlight kept creeping up on me! I had to get up every 30 seconds and move the table!
4 eggs¾ cup canola oil
½ cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
8 oz crushed pineapple
3 cups grated carrot (4-5 carrots)
Cheesecake Buttercream:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
3 teaspoons instant pudding mix, cheesecake flavor
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 -4 ½ cups powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners. Yields 35 cupcakes.
2. In a large bowl, gently combine eggs, oil, applesauce, sugar and brown sugar. Stir in vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
4. Add half of the dry (flour) ingredients to the oil mixture. Mix until combined.
5. Try to remove most of the juice from the pineapple, then add and stir.
6. Add the remaining half of the dry ingredients.
7. Stir in grated carrots and fill cupcake liners ¾ full.
8. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
9. Buttercream: Beat cream cheese and butter for 4 minutes on medium high. Scrape bowl every minute. Add pudding mix and vanilla. Let beat again. Slowly add powdered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency.
10.Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles!
How do you get such nice pipeable cream cheese frosting??? Mine always spreads and I don't want to use shortening. Any suggestions?
the trick is to warm melt your cream cheese, leave it chilled. It will take more will power to blend it until smooth but it will keep your frosting thick.
I am a little confused by what you are saying here. Are you saying to keep the cream cheese cold or its better to have the cream cheese at room temperature.
I use room temperature cream cheese, To get it thicker add more powdered sugar. if you do the cold way like Katie says…yes it will be thicker… until it reaches room temperature and then it will melt on you.
Even with the sunlight shifting, your pictures turned out gorgeous!
Always GREAT JOB!!!! I will make this recipe tonight with another 3 from your collection!! Just wondering what pipping tip you use on these babies?? ….Fatima
The 1M tip from Wilton is my go to tip!
WOW!!!! ok, I over due it again and finish baking 12 dozens this past week…LOVE your recipes…keep them comming!! I am DYING and waiting for your RED VELVET recipe???!!!! Happy NEW YEAR !!!!!!!! ….Fatima
Just made these cupcakes and frosting this AM. OH SO GOOD! The cake is incredibly moist and the frosting turned out great! I think this may be my new go-to for cream cheese frosting! The consistency is perfect for piping – all the other times I have tried a cream cheese frosting, it ends up runny. The frosting is not too sweet and not too overwhelmingly cream cheesy – the only change I made was I didn’t have cream cheese instant pudding on hand, so I used vanilla.
Hi Lizzy I’m new to your site..I really want to try this recipe. Can I ask what other pudding mixes or non-pudding mixes I can substitute for the frosting? We rarely have pudding mixes available in our place. Thanks!!
You can just do a regular cream cheese frosting recipe without the pudding mix and it will be great!
These recipes look amazing, I’m going to be making mass amounts of cupcakes for a work banquet. Just wondering, for these recipes, how many cupcakes do your scratch recipes make?
Scratch makes about 25-30 cupcakes!
Can you substitute coconut oil for the canola oil?
I have never done it before, google it and see if it works as a baking substitute!
Once again a wonderful cupcake recipe. I made them for Mother’s day. We all loved them.
Can I ommit the pineapple? I love it but husband does not.
I would like to make this recipe as a layered cake for my sons birthday. Is there anything i need to change? I was thinking of using three 8 inch pans, and using the buttercream in between the layers.
Mavi