What a delicious idea these were! These muffins are really easy to make, although I don’t like grating carrots. Gingerbread and carrot cake merged into one muffin, topped with maple cream cheese icing, I mean, what’s not to love?
- 2 1/4 c (550 mL) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 c (112g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 c packed brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c plain yogurt
- 2 c carrots, grated
- 1/2 c toasted walnuts, broken into pieces (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and grease to line a 12 hole muffin tin.
In bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light, about 1 minute. Add in the molasses and vanilla, then beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in flour mixture and then stir in yogurt until just combined. Gently fold in the carrots and nuts. Spoon into paper-lined or greased muffin cups.
Bake for 20- 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and ice when cool.
Maple cream cheese icing/frosting
- 1/2 c (4 oz) cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 c icing/confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
Mix all these ingredients together in a bowl, if it’s too thick add a little more maple syrup, or a splash of milk.
Original muffin recipe adapted from: Canadian Living Magazine, September 2010.
Song for this recipe:
“More Love” Smokey Robinson and the Miracles 
Oh Smokey, thanks for your awesome songs. They make me dance around the kitchen with joy, using the spatula as a microphone while the muffins bake. More love is particularly poignant because that’s what you’ll most likely feel for these muffins. Smokey might be my favourite singer from the 60′s (he’s still singing mind you) which is a big call considering the talent in that great decade.
Yum! I love spicy and maple flavours, these look great, especially with the lashings of icing