Spiced spelt and carrot cupcakes

by Miranda MacDonald
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Makes 12 cupcakes
45 minutes

Ingredients

Spiced spelt and carrot cupcake mix

  • 200g of vegetable oil
  • 125g of wholemeal spelt flour
  • 125g of self-raising flour
  • 150g of caster sugar
  • 50g of soft dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 150g of carrots, grated
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 6 cardamom pods, break the pods and grind the seeds in a pestle and mortar (discard the pods)

White chocolate buttercream

  • 200g of soft butter
  • 100g of icing sugar
  • 150g of white chocolate

Pumpkin seed brittle

  • 1 tbsp of butter
  • 1 tbsp of caster sugar
  • 50g of pumpkin seeds

Optional toppings

  • desiccated coconut
  • mini chocolate eggs

Method

1
To begin, place all of the cupcake ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cases and preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6
2
Split the cake batter evenly between the 12 cases and bake for 25 minutes, until they are golden-brown and a skewer inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean
3
While the cakes are baking, make the buttercream. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Beat the softened butter until smooth, then sift in the icing sugar. Stir the cooled melted chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture and set aside
4
To make the praline, melt 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp caster sugar in a frying pan until bubbling. Add the pumpkin seeds and allow them to pop in the hot butter and sugar mixture until they start to brown. Transfer to a tray lined with a sheet of baking parchment and leave to cool and set
5
Once the cupcakes are baked, transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely
6
Top the cupcakes with the buttercream, gently break up the pumpkin seed brittle and sprinkle it on top. You can also top them with desiccated coconut and mini chocolate eggs, if desired