I baked: Carrot cupcakes with lime mascarpone cream frosting

This is another great recipe you can do with your kids. During one of the weekends, I got together all the ingredients for carrot cake and we (the kids and I) gathered in the kitchen for a morning of baking fun.

This is the recipe that I usually use for carrot cake but this time I added a few extra ingredients such as orange zest and walnuts and made them as cupcakes. I also made a lime mascarpone-cream frosting which is much lighter than the cream cheese frosting. I love the tanginess of the lime zest and juice in the frosting. It went very well with the moist carrot cupcakes. After our baking lesson, we enjoyed these cupcakes with a glass of cold milk each. We really loved them!

Carrot cupcakes with lime mascarpone-cream frosting

Baby C is a natural in the kitchen. Baby D who hasn't even turned 2 loves giving mummy a helping hand in the kitchen. He will hold the spatula and give the batter a good mix :D (clever boy). This is an extremely kids-friendly cake. (not much mess either)

Personally, I think these are best eaten slightly warm (take them out of the oven and cool for 30 minutes) but they can also keep for several days in an airtight container stored in the fridge.


Carrot cupcakes with lime mascarpone-cream frosting
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 22-25 minutes
Makes 8

For the cupcake
125g self raising flour, sifted
A pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
125g soft brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
120ml corn oil
130g carrot, peeled and finely grated (approx. 1 medium carrot)
Zest of 1 orange
25g walnuts, chopped into small pieces
25g sultanas
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


For the lime mascarpone-cream frosting
100g mascarpone cream, softened at room temperature
25g icing sugar, sifted
50g whipping cream
Zest of 2 limes
Juice of 1 lime

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line muffin-tray with 8 cupcake liners.

2. Place the flour, salt, ground cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl and stir in the brown sugar. Add the eggs and corn oil to the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the grated carrot, orange zest, sultanas, chopped walnuts and vanilla extract.

3. Fill the cupcake-liners to 2/3 full and then bake in the pre-heated oven for 22-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes before frosting.

4. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat the whipping cream with icing sugar until stiff peaks. Add the mascarpone cheese, lime zest and juice and mix well.

5. Using a star tip nozzle, pipe the frosting on the cupcakes. Serve immediately, these carrot cupcakes are best enjoyed slightly warm.

The purple flower is called bunga senduduk ungu.

Full set of photos can be viewed on my Facebook page here.