Makes 8 muffins
Oven Temperature: 350°F/175°C
Baking Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Baking Equipment: 8 cupcake liners, no preparation needed, set in muffin pans or custard cups
These muffins or cupcakes are moist, velvety, and delicious by themselves or topped with cream cheese frosting. They have a lovely tall shape thanks to the fiber in the carrot and double the egg compared with the carrot layer cake (see recipe), both of which provide extra structure.
Makes 450 grams batter
| 2 large eggs | 100 grams | ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon (94 ml) |
| 142 grams/5 ounces carrots | 114 grams, coarsely shredded | ¾ cup coarsely shredded, firmly packed |
| bleached all-purpose flour | 75 grams | ½ cup (lightly spooned into the cup and leveled off) plus 2 tablespoons |
| baking powder | 1.7 grams | ⅜ teaspoon |
| baking soda | 1.3 grams | ¼ teaspoon |
| fine sea salt | . | ¼ teaspoon |
| unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably alkalized | . | ¾ teaspoon |
| ground cinnamon | . | ½ teaspoon |
| granulated sugar | 75 grams | ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons |
| light brown sugar, preferably light Muscovado | 25 grams | 1½ tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon, firmly packed |
| canola or safflower oil | 67 grams | ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoons (74 ml) |
| pure vanilla extract | . | ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) |
Preheat the Oven
▪ Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Set the oven at 350ºF/175ºC.
Mise en Place
▪ Thirty minutes to 1 hour ahead, set the eggs on the counter at room temperature (65º to 75ºF/19º to 24ºC).
▪ Peel and coarsely shred the carrots.
▪ In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon.
▪ Into a 1 cup measure with a spout, weigh or measure the eggs.
Make the Batter
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the granulated and brown sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla on low speed for 1 minute, until blended.
2. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed for 20 seconds, just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the carrots and beat for another 12 seconds.
4. Scrape the very liquid batter into a 4 cup measure with a spout.
Fill the Cupcake Liners
5. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners a little more than three-quarters full (56 grams each). Smooth the tops.
Bake the Muffins
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when pressed lightly in the centers and a wooden skewer inserted in the centers comes out clean.
Cool and Unmold the Muffins
7. Set the pans on wire racks and cool the muffins for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pans and set them on another wire rack to cool until warm or room temperature.
Store Airtight: room temperature, 2 days; refrigerated, 5 days; frozen, 2 months.
Baking Pearls
The carrot layer cake works well with unbleached flour, but due to the extra egg in these muffins, they require bleached flour to avoid a rubbery texture.
To make more muffins, it is best to make multiple batches, one batch at a time, because as the batter stands, the baking powder activates prematurely, causing the resulting muffins to dome more.