Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Saffron-Cream Cheese Frosting
These Persian inspired carrot-pistachio cupcakes contain many ingredients which are very typically found in Iranian sweets and desserts. The finely grated carrot makes the dough incredibly juicy whilst the pistachios add some nice bite to it. Cooked in butter, the pistachios release all their flavour. Complemented by cardamom and cinnamon, two very typical Middle-Eastern spices the dough comes together. For the frosting, cream cheese and butter create the perfect creamy texture. But the saffron, which is the royal spice of the Oriental cuisine is what really sets these cupcakes apart.
Ingredients
For 12 cupcakes
For the dough:
600 g carrots (3 large carrots)
375 g flour
330 g brown sugar
200 g butter
180 vegetable oil
120 g pistachios (optionally more for garnish)
6 eggs
3 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp ground cardamom
pinch of salt
For the glaze:
200 g cream cheese
120 g butter at room temperature
440 g powdered sugar
splash of lemon juice
20 strings of saffron (optionally more for garnish)
Optional: Chopped pistachios and rose paddles for decoration
What you need
Cupcake tin and /or cupcake paper cups
Medium-sized saucepan
kitchen scale
fine-mesh sieve
large mixing bowl
small bowl
chopping board
hand mixer
peeler
spatula
grater
mortar and pestle
sharp knife
Method
Peel and grate 600 g carrots. Set aside.
Melt 200 g butter in a small saucepan on medium heat until foaming, then add 120 g chopped pistachios and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until they start browning.
Pour mixture through a sieve. Set aside.
Add 6 eggs, 120 ml vegetable oil, 330 g brown sugar, 1.5 tsp cinnamon and 3 tsp cardamom to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer and beat until well combined.
Add 375 g flour, 3 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt to the mixing bowl and continue mixing with your hand mixer until an even dough comes together.
Reduce the speed and slowly pour in the melted butter, beat until combined.
Add carrots and pistachios to the dough and mix under with a spatula.
Fill cupcake paper cups with dough. Leave 1/3 room as the dough will expand whilst baking.
Bake for 20 minutes on 180°C on middle oven rack.
For the frosting, mix 200 g cream cheese, 440 g powdered sugar, 120 g butter at room temperature and a splash of lemon juice on low speed with your hand mixer.
Place 20 saffron strings in mortar with 1/4 tsp sugar and use pestle to grind until you get a fine powder. Mix under the frosting until it turns yellow. (If you don’t have mortar and pestle, mix strings under the frosting and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Mix well again - the frosting should turn yellow.)
You can either use a piping bag or a knife to frost the cupcakes. Optionally decorate the cupcakes with deco pearls, chopped pistachios, and rose paddles.
Enjoy!
