And finally Easter is around the corner…it’s time to save my appetite for some Easter goodies and I am all pumped up to get some baking done! As much as I love baking, so does my husband… in fact I feel he gets way more excited than me whenever I plan to bake a cake, he adjusts his schedule to be there in the kitchen and share all his wonderful tips and creative ideas. And he is a master at decorating too…Lucky Me…!!!

I have a lot of cupcake memories from my hometown and childhood days, but back then all the cakes were without any fancy frosting. I grew up in a small town and cupcakes were more of a delicacy, you would find them in bakeries more around the festival season and it was like a celebration dessert. Only two flavours were available; Vanilla or Chocolate. Me and my brother didn’t even know what the names meant back then but we loved them. All we would do is let our Amma (Mom) know that we want white or brown colored ones (or even both!!) and when she brought them home, it was the happiest moments. In the evening, she prepares tea and all of us sit down to enjoy our cupcakes with tea…… Aaaah, Good Old Days!!

Carrot cakes are one of my all-time favorites, and trust me, these cupcakes are the Best!!! Our friends love it, they are sweet and soft with the aroma of cinnamon and carrot, & the cream cheese frosting makes it even tastier. To give the fun Easter look, I decorated them with Cadburys Easter Eggs, but that’s purely optional.  I guarantee you that these Carrot Cupcakes will be the biggest hit for your Easter party…!!

Happy Easter…!!

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Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cupcakes topped with Classic Cream Cheese Frosting, Chopped Walnuts and Candied Eggs…!!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, carrot cake, cupcake, easter egg

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For making cupcakes

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cup grated carrots
• Candied Easter eggs (optional)
• ½ cup walnuts (chopped)

For cream cheese frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 8 oz Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For making cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Grease them with oil or butter.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder. Keep aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and oil until well combined. Follow by adding granulated sugar and vanilla extract, and mix.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients in batches and mix well.
• Add the grated carrots; fold in the batter until well combined.
• Pour the batter into the muffin tins and fill up to 2/3rd of the liners.
• Bake for 20-22 mins until the muffins have risen and turned golden brown.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

For cream cheese frosting

• Beat butter and cream cheese until well combined.
• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, whisk well until it is smooth.
• Transfer to a piping bag and decorate according to your choice.
• Top with chopped walnuts and candied Easter eggs (optional).

Notes

1. If you do not prefer heavy frosting, you can cut down the measurements; cream cheese to 4oz, and powdered sugar to 2 cups.
2. Baking time vary from oven to oven, on a safer side check the muffins after 15 minutes of baking.

The post Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Now that’s my first attempt with a cheesecake, and surprisingly YES, it turned out to be way better than I expected for a newbie, and a grand success. Cheesecake is one of those desserts I would prefer baking only on special occasions, and fortunately I was able to club this as a surprise for my friend’s birthday…!!

This 3 layered New York style cheesecake is actually not a cake, it’s basically a custard pie with tons and tons of cheese, baked on a crunchy graham cracker crust, topped with a layer of any fruit toppings. I have prepared a berry compote whose sweet and tangy flavour complements the sweet sour taste of the cheesecake perfectly.

Did you guys know that there is a National Cheesecake day? Well Yes; July 30 is celebrated as National Cheesecake Day, dedicated to America’s favourite dessert…

One of the most common issues while baking a cheese cake is the formation of cracks. A few pointers to be noted:

• Ensure all ingredients are brought to room temperature before preparation.
• Do not overmix the batter.
• Avoid opening the oven door unnecessarily in-between the bake, this brings in sudden temperature variations.

Enjoy baking, Happy Caking…!!!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare.

Prep time: 30 minutes + 2 hr baking time + cooling time
Serves: 12-16

INGREDIENTS

For the crust

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter (melted) + to butter the pan
• 12 graham cracker crumbs or digestive biscuits
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp salt

For the filling

• 2½ pound (40 oz) cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
• 1½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 cup sour cream

For the berry compote

• 2 cups berries (I have used frozen blackberries, blueberries, & raspberries)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

For the crust

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Butter the sides of a 10-inch springform pan and keep aside.
3. To make the crust, grind the graham crackers in a food processor until finely powdered.
4. Add butter, sugar, and salt to the processor and grind it for a few seconds to combine it to a finely moistened mixture.
5. On to the buttered springform pan, transfer the mixture and press it down and up the sides (an inch high on the sides) firmly using the bottom of a measuring cup or anything with a flat surface.
6. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the crust becomes dry at the bottom and a little golden on the edges. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling

1. To a mixer bowl add the cream cheese and sugar, beat on a medium speed using the paddle attachment for about 3 minutes, until its turns fluffy, scraping the sides using a spatula as needed.
2. Add the grated lemon zest and the lemon juice and beat for another 2 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined.
4. Finally add the sour cream and give it a last round of beating for another 2 minutes, until properly mixed.

For the berry compote

1. Combine berries, sugar, lemon juice and water in a sauce pan and boil till it turns into a thick syrup.
2. Allow it to cool completely.

Preparation of the cake

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Boil enough water required for your water bath.
3. Place the cooled pan on a sheet of aluminum foil and wrap the foil around the pan ensuring there is no gap. This is to ensure no water seeps in while we bake the cake in the water bath.
4. Pour the filling into the pan. It will fill above the crust, smooth out the surface using a spatula to make it flat.
5. To prepare the water bath, place the pan inside a large and shallow roasting pan. Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
6. Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Check the cake after 80 minutes; it should be set but lightly jiggly in the center. Continue baking.
7. Once done, take the springform pan of the water bath and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edges of the pan and allow it to cool for another hour.
8. Place the pan in the refrigerator to cool overnight.
9. Once cooled, unlock the springform pan to remove the cake.
10. The cheesecake is now good to be served as is, or with fruits.
11. To top your cake with the berry compote, pour the cooled syrup on top of the cake and level it. Cool it in the refrigerator for another 30 mins to allow it to set, and serve.

Recipe heavily adapted from New York-Style Cheesecake.

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