These clementine carrot cupcakes are a good bit lower in fat than your typical cupcakes. The cake itself does not have much fat in it at all. The frosting is still pretty high in fat, but is better than some. But, these are also really good with out any frosting at all.
I adapted this recipe from Alton Brown’s Just Here for More Food by using non-fat yogurt and replacing most of the oil with applesauce. And, then I added the clementine zest and the lower fat frosting with clementine zest and juice. You could use orange, but I really love the clementine flavor.
Lower Fat Clementine Carrot Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups finely grated carrots
- 1 Tbsp. grated clementine zest
- 1 8 oz. package AND 1 3oz. package 1/3 less fat cream cheese (neufchatel), at room temperature
- 6 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 Tbsp. clementine zest
- 1 Tbsp. clementine juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line 15 cups of your cupcake pan with liners. (I know it is an odd number, but that is how many I got from the recipe.)
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until evenly distributed.
- Add yogurt, applesauce, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until just combined.
- Stir in carrots and clementine zest.
- Evenly distribute into the lined cupcake pan. I use a scoop to make this easier.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center come out clean.
- Remove from the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Mix together all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until thoroughly mixed. Pipe or spread on cool cupcakes.
Adapted from: Alton Brown’s Just Here for More Food.
Mouth-watering! I want one right now. Thanks for sharing. Printing & pinning too!