Carrot Cake Muffins

Submitted by pammyowl

"Did you ever wish you could eat carrot cake for breakfast? These muffins are a tasty stand-in. Moist and tender, studded with grated carrots and lightly spiced with ginger and cinnamon, they hold a tasty surprise within: a melting pool of sweetened cream cheese filling. By KAF"

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• 2 1⁄4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 1⁄4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3⁄4 cup water
• 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup grated carrot, lightly packed, about 2 medium-large carrots
• one 8-ounce package cream cheese cheese
• 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar

directions

1. 1) Preheat the oven to 400°F Lightly grease a standard 12-well muffin pan. Or line the pan with paper muffin cups, and grease the cups.
2. 2) To make the filling: Place the cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat on low power for 40 seconds. Stir in the sugar and flavor. Set aside.
3. 3) To make the muffin batter: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
4. 4) In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, and oil.
5. 5) Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
6. 6) Fold in the grated carrots, stirring to combine.
7. 7) Drop about 2 tablespoons of the batter (a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here) into each muffin cup, spreading it to cover the bottom.
8. 8) Dollop on a heaping tablespoon of filling; a level tablespoon cookie scoop works well here.
9. 9) Cover with enough batter to fill the muffin cups quite full. The batter will come to within about 1/4" to 3/8" of the top of each muffin cup. But don't try to use all the batter; unless you have particularly deep cups, you'll have.
10. 9) Cover with enough batter to fill the muffin cups quite full. The batter will come to within about 1/4" to 3/8" of the top of each muffin cup. But don't try to use all the batter; unless you have particularly deep cups, you'll have abut 1/3 cup batter left over. Bake it in a separate custard cup, if desired.
11. 10) Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the cake part of one (not into the cream cheese filling) comes out clean, about 20 minutes. The tops of the muffins will feel firm to the touch.
12. 11) Remove the muffins from the oven, and as soon as you're able to handle them, transfer them to a rack. If you serve the muffins warm, the filling will be molten. If you wait for them to cool, it'll firm up.

Reviews

[Vera C.]

This is the King Arthur Flour Recipe and you are missing a key ingredient in the filling: The FLAVOR which is fiori di sicilia - a lovely orange/vanilla extract that should not be left out.

 

[KerfuffleUponWincle]

Very good, but not sweet like cake! I subbed olive oil for the vegetable oil, and crushed pineapple (with juice) for the water called for in the recipe, and used Neufchâtel cheese. Next time I'll add walnuts or pecans. I preheated my oven to 400F, but because my muffin tin is dark, I reduced the temp to 375F when I put the tin into the oven, and baked the muffins for 25 minutes. I did not have any leftover batter, but did have some leftover Neufchâtel cheese filling. IMHO, it is important to use all the filling. After cooling, a few of my muffins had a void, but were not completely filled! Tagged for the Pammyowl Cookathon.

 

[nochlo]

These were wonderful. I did not have vegetable oil s I used canola oil. It still turned out great. Just like a carrot cake full of flavor!!! Thanks