carrot cake cupcakes with orange mascarpone frosting

Just like life, recipes are in constant evolution. This cupcake started out as a carrot muffin, which tasted fine, but was missing a note. So I added ground ginger, which spiced up the "muffins" in a good way, but then they needed a bit of cream--or frosting, which is how they ended up. The orange zest in the frosting complements the medley of spices in the carrot cake cupcakes. In the end, what is a muffin anyway? It's really a cupcake without frosting, right? 

Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 14 to 16 cupcakes
​Level: Easy

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup tiger nut flour, well-sifted
• ½ cup cassava flour
• ½ cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best!)
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 3 eggs 
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups grated carrots (hand grate if possible!)
• 1 cup chopped pecans

 
 
Orange Mascarpone Frosting

• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8-ounce tub of mascarpone 
• ½ teaspoon orange zest
• pinch of salt

  

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line a 12-inch muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second 12-inch muffin pan with 4 more liners. 
2. Place tiger nut flour, cassava flour, and almond flour in a large bowl. Add in baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger and whisk until well combined.
3. Place the wet ingredients, buttermilk, eggs, maple syrup, butter, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Using a paddle attachment, beat for 1-2 minutes or until mixed well. 
4. Turn the mixer off and add about ½ cup of the dry ingredients. Mix well and then repeat the process. 
5. Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and stir in carrotsand pecans.
6. Using a 20-scoop (large ice cream scoop, about ¼ cup) fill the cupcake liners almost to the top. 
7. Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes as gluten-free flours need a few extra minutes to settle. 
8. To make the Orange Mascarpone Frosting, use a whisk attachment to a mixer and add heavy whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla extract and beat until stiff peaks form.
9. Add in about half of the mascarpone cheese and beat. Add the remaining half. 
10. Add orange zest and a pinch of salt and mix through. 
11. Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost either with a spatula or with a piping bag.