Haaaaaappy Easter, people!

Well, I’m a week early. But you know what I mean. Happy let-me-show-you-what-you-need-to-make-next-Sunday-for-Easter-day. It’s how we roll.

So I realized that I haven’t really discussed my new kitchen situation the new apartment. Mostly because I’ve been trying not to be complain-y, and in short, it’s not great. It’s teensy-tiny, pretty decrepit, dishwasher-less, and the oven is laughably small (only my smallest baking sheet fits in there). The apartment is old and charming in other ways, but the kitchen is just a big disappointment for a gal who spends most of her at-home waking time (and most of her happy-me-time!) in there. I had been trying to stay positive and make the most of it, and I think I was actually doing a pretty good job until…we got hit with a massive ant infestation a few weeks ago. (Do you see why I didn’t want to bring this up on my food blog?) It’s foul and terrible and stresses us out to our wits’ end every single day. Nothing we’re doing is helping, and those bastards just keep popping up everywhere in the kitchen and our bedroom – I’m shuddering just thinking about it. We’re hoping to have someone come treat the apartment this week, but in the meantime, I’m telling you this so you know that my cooking situation is NOT FUN right now and it’s making me very sad. MOST IMPORTANTLY: If I can make these freakin’ amazing vegan carrot cake cupcakes with the most creamy, delicious coconut milk frosting in my busted-ass kitchen while zapping ants with Windex the whole time…you certainly can do it, too!

Sorry for the tangent – back to the subject at hand: the best spring-y Easter cupcakes I ever did eat. For a girl with a bacon blog, no one is more surprised than me at my recent obsession with vegan baking – I just think being forced to be a little creative with ingredients brings out the best in baked goods, as we turn to applesauce and almond milk and carrots and other moisture-filled ingredients to serve as our dairy subs. These carrot cake cupcakes are totally vegan, and are INSANELY moist. Like, one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever made, hands-down. The aforementioned applesauce and almond milk make the whole shebang soooo tender and fantastic, and all the cinnamon spice makes these taste exactly how you want carrot cake to taste.

AND THE COCONUT MILK FROSTING. Sorry, but this needs all caps. Originally, I was intending on making these totally vegan, but looking at vegan frosting recipes didn’t really make my heart do a dance. So I made these with reduced coconut milk and…butter (sorry, vegans of the world). If you’re vegan or making these for people who follow a vegan diet, feel free to sub out with a vegan butter substitute, but for the rest of us…what’s wrong with enjoying a little butter with our coconut milk-loaded, insanely decadent and flavorful frosting? Nothing, I say! We top the whole thing off with toasted coconut for that critical textural crunch, and the whole thing is just absolute Spring perfection.

Basically, this coconut milk frosting and these carrot cake cupcakes are a match made in heaven. They were so good, they were worth all the ant battles and cupcake tray-juggling and all the other fun problems going on in my kitchen right now. And if that’s not a testament to how much you need to make these RIGHT NOW, I don’t know what is!

(Vegan) Carrot Cake Cupcakes with (Almost Vegan) Coconut Milk Frosting

2015-03-29 16:00:10

Yields 16

These fantastically flavorful, moist vegan carrot cake cupcakes pair perfectly with the rich, sweet coconut milk frosting. Serious Easter dessert perfection right here!

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Prep Time

35 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

2 hr

Prep Time

35 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

2 hr

For the vegan carrot cake cupcakes

1. 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2. 3 tsp. baking powder
3. 1 tsp. baking soda
4. 3 tsp. cinnamon
5. ½ tsp. nutmeg
6. 1 tsp. salt
7. ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
8. 1 cup original unsweetened almond milk
9. 2 tsp. vanilla
10. 1 cup granulated sugar
11. ½ cup coconut oil, melted
12. 2 cups grated carrots (from 1 lb. peeled carrots)

For the coconut milk frosting

1. 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (sub vegan butter substitute such as Earth Balance to keep the frosting vegan)
2. 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk (see notes), cooled overnight
3. 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
4. 1 vanilla bean
5. 1/8 tsp. salt

To finish

1. 1.5 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (see notes)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line 16 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients – the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt – with a whisk.
3. In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, almond milk, vanilla, sugar, and coconut oil with a spatula. In a few batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, making sure not to over-mix. Add in the shredded carrots and fold until just combined. Scoop into the cupcake liners.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
5. While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting. In a large bowl, add the softened butter. With a hand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, 1/3 cup reduced and cooled coconut milk, seeds scraped from the vanilla bean, and salt. Beat everything together until light and fluffy.
6. To serve, spread cupcakes with coconut milk frosting and top with toasted shredded coconut. Enjoy!

Notes

1. For the reduced coconut milk: Bring 1 can coconut milk to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Transfer the reduced coconut milk to a covered container and refrigerate overnight. For this recipe, you'll use 1/3 cup of the reduction for the frosting - feel free to repurpose the rest!
2. For the toasted coconut: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Spread shredded coconut in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, tossing every few minutes to make sure it doesn't burn. Once it's nicely browned, remove from the oven.

By My Bacon-Wrapped Life

Adapted from Love and Lemons

Adapted from Love and Lemons

My Bacon-Wrapped Life https://www.mybaconwrappedlife.com/

Looking for more spring-y Easter treats?

Carrot Cake Pancakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Topping

Bacon, Kale, and Caramelized Onion Quiche with Buttermilk Oat Crust

White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Scones

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