I did it.
I put a vegetable in a cupcake. And I didn’t do it alone.
Remember when I made those breakfast cookies? I adore that recipe. I made them with facebaby’s sister (one of my best friend’s kids—no relation), who is pretty much my favorite little person in the world. If you click the cookie link you can see how much older she looks now; it makes me want to scream STOP GROWING!
I’m so maternal.
Since we made those cookies, she’s been asking her mom when we would bake together again. Truthfully, projects like this aren’t just for her—spending time with a four-year-old keeps me patient and entertained. I learn a lot when we bake together.
I also encourage little creative flourishes. I may regret it someday, especially because when my husband is around she practically ignores me and adores him instead.
So—cupcakes with vegetables. Carrot cake can be loved or ignored; I’m somewhere in the middle. I’m not always desperate for a slice, but the cream cheese frosting is what really gets me. Lately I’ve been obsessed with bananas, so I decided to add them to the batter. It was an excellent choice.
Oh, and we made these cupcakes with coconut oil instead of butter. I know—wild. I loved how they turned out.
I’m a bit lazy and often mix cupcakes by hand. People ask if there’s a special reason—there isn’t. I just don’t want to haul out the mixer every time, and hand-mixing made the process more hands-on for my little helper. The cupcakes are slightly denser—more muffin-like—but the banana and coconut oil add moisture and texture.
We left shredded coconut out of the batter because not everyone shares my coconut obsession. If you love coconut, stir a generous handful into the batter. The frosting is flavored with coconut extract, and to keep things fun for the child I decorated each cupcake with a little toasted coconut “nest” and Cadbury mini eggs on top.
Those mini eggs are dangerous. I thought I could leave a bowl out for guests to snack on, but I ate them all. Major fail.
Totally worth it. This was so. much. fun.
Banana Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, measured solid then melted and cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 bananas, mashed
- 2 cups freshly grated carrots
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
frosting
- 1 1/2 (8 ounce) blocks of cold cream cheese
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- toasted unsweetened flaked coconut
- Cadbury mini eggs
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with liners. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
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In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs. Whisk in the coconut oil, then stir in the mashed bananas, grated carrots and vanilla. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix with a large spoon until incorporated. Stir in the buttermilk, then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until the batter is mostly smooth with few lumps. Using a 1/4 cup measure or ice cream scoop, fill liners about 3/4 full. Bake 18–20 minutes, or until set in the centers. Cool completely before frosting.
frosting
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Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar on low speed, then increase the mixer speed once incorporated. Add vanilla and coconut extracts and beat on medium to medium-high for 2–3 minutes until creamy, scraping the bowl as needed. If the frosting is too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency; if too thin, add more powdered sugar gradually. Frost the cooled cupcakes, roll the edges in toasted coconut and top with Cadbury mini eggs if desired.
Notes
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I appreciate you so much!
Ooooh—and that neon pink headband? Yeah. Just guess who bought her that.