During March break my sons and I went to a museum and got a chance to see how maple syrup was made. There we got to taste fresh maple syrup and treats made of maple syrup and ever since I have become an ardent "maple syrup" fan. They also gave samples of a "maple ginger cake" which was baked there and it was very good. Being the baking enthusiast that I am I got the recipe and can't wait to try it out soon. It was this new found maple syrup mania that prompted me to bake the maple walnut cake for my birthday.
I was browsing for recipes to bake to welcome our new neighbors and I was excited when I found this maple carrot cupcake recipe which used a substantial quantity of maple syrup. Since everybody in my family loved the vegan carrot cake I baked last year for my son's birthday, I knew that carrot cupcakes would be a hit too. But when I tasted the batter after everything was mixed I felt that it did not have the maple flavor that I was expecting. So I added a teaspoon of maple extract and that did the trick. The neighbors loved the cupcakes and since then I have become a "super aunt" for the little ones there. The next time I'm going to try this recipe with all maple syrup. In that case we have to make some changes with the liquid ingredients and other adjustments too. I'll try it out first and then share my experience here.
Recipe
Maple Magic Carrot Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 and ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups carrot, shredded
Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup pureed silken tofu
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup avocado oil
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
Substitutes:
- carrot - zucchini beets, apple
- avocado oil - any oil of your choice melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C for 15 min. Line muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease it with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl stir together all the dry ingredients except carrots; set aside.
- In another medium bowl combine together the wet ingredients.
- Stir the wet mix into the dry mix until just combined.
- Fold in the carrots.
- Fill the prepared muffin cups ⅔rds full and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Mine was done in 22 minutes.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pan before moving it to the wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost it with your favorite cream cheese frosting and top it with chopped walnuts too make it look extra good.
My Notes
- The original recipe used 1 cup of sugar plus the ½ cup of maple syrup. I reduced the quantity of sugar to ¾th of a cup. The cupcakes were mildly sweet without the frosting and not too sweet with the frosting.
- cup of oil was used in the original recipe. I have replaced half of it with unsweetened applesauce.
- I have substituted silken tofu and yogurt for 4 eggs used in the original recipe.
- I used a different muffin pan which I bought from IKEA. At first I thought it was a smaller cup but was surprised to see that it held a little more batter than the usual muffin cups. I think that's the reason I just got 16 muffins, whereas the original recipe is for 18 muffins.
chaya kotak says
Hi
I have tried various cakes from your recipes and just love them come out perfect
just one question any substitute for cider vinegar?
Madhuram says
Thanks, Chaya. Do you mean you need a replacement for any vinegar or just apple cider vinegar? Vinegar is what makes the cupcake less dense. You can try buttermilk as an egg substitute if you want to omit the vinegar.
Hari Chandana says
These look super pretty and delicious.. thanks for the wonderful recipe, Madhu! 🙂
usha says
This looks divine, and have tried many of your recipes and I am always pleased as to how well they turn out.
Madhuram says
Thank you Usha.