Carrot Cake Muffins #MuffinMonday

These carrot cake muffins taste like our favorite carrot cake but are much simpler to make; the batter is whisked together with the muffin method. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. No electric mixer necessary! 

Our younger daughter is visiting this month so since she won’t still be here when her big day rolls around, we are celebrating her birthday early. 

Her usual celebratory meal always includes a picanha (cap of the rump) roast and chicken hearts, both cooked over charcoal, black beans with smoked sausage, rice and molho which is a sort of pico de gallo.

And for dessert, she always asks for carrot cake! I’ve long wondered if I could convert our favorite carrot cake recipe to use the muffin method instead of the stand mixer. I am pleased to say, it works great.

Carrot Cake Muffins

The original cake recipe called for even more sugar to be beaten with the oil but for muffins, this amount was plenty sweet enough. This makes about 20 muffins.

Ingredients

16 oz or 450g carrots

2 cups or 250g flour

1 1/2 cups or 300g sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons cinnamon 

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup or 240ml light cooking oil (like canola or sunflower)

2 eggs, at room temperature

Method

Peel and cut the very ends off of your carrots. Cut them in small pieces. Cover them with water in a medium sized pot and cook until very fork tender.  

Drain the water off and mash them with a potato masher until there aren’t any lumps. Transfer the mashed carrots to a bowl and set aside to cool.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your muffin pans by greasing them or lining them with paper muffin cups.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 

In another bowl, whisk together the mashed carrots, oil and eggs. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and whisk again until well combined. 

Divide the batter between the cups in your prepared muffin pans. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. 

Remove to a wire rack to cool. 

Enjoy! 

It’s the last Monday of the month which means it’s Muffin Monday, time for me and my fellow bakers to share our muffin recipes. Check them out below: 

• Carrot Cake Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate Ginger Bran Muffins from A Messy Kitchen
• Pecan Pie Muffins from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Ricotta Basil Muffins from Magical Ingredients
• Sourdough Doughnut Muffins from Zesty South Indian Kitchen

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

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My Ideal Birthday “Cake” (is Meatloaf!)

A savory dish made with ground meat, my ideal birthday cake is meatloaf! This one is filled with curried carrots and covered with buttery cream potatoes. Happy Easter to all who celebrate and an early Happy April Fool's Day to all!

We all love a good prank for April Fool’s Day but I can’t remember the last time I actually pulled one. Probably when our girls still lived at home and that’s was a very long time ago – COVID days excepted. 

If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you probably know that I’m not much of a sweet eater so when our Sunday FunDay host for this week challenged us to make a dish that looked like something else for April Fool’s Day, I knew I’d make a savory dish. 

I also wanted to make a fun recipe that we could actually enjoy for a main course. I created this meatloaf recipe to fit the bill. Doesn’t it look like cake?!!!

My Ideal Birthday Cake is Meatloaf

I used two 6-in or 15cm round “smash” cake pans to bake the meatloaf layers. A tradition that started well after my two girls had turned one, smash cakes are little cakes baked so the birthday baby can put her whole face in. I presume there’s another cake for the rest of the guests at the birthday party.

Ingredients

For the “cake” layers:

2 slices sandwich bread (brown or white)

1/4 cup or 60ml milk

1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion

1 lb or 450g ground beef

1/2 lb or 225g ground pork

2 eggs

1/4 cup or 60ml ketchup

2 teaspoons dry mustard powder (like Colman’s)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the cream potato “frosting”:

4 medium Russet potatoes (weight peeled: about 1 lb 6 oz or 625g)

1 teaspoon fine sea salt to boil, plus extra after mashing, if needed

1/2 cup or 120ml whipping or heavy cream

1/4 cup or 57g butter

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

For the savory carrot filling: 

3 medium carrots (weight peeled: about 7 3/4 oz or 215g)

1/4 medium onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon salt  

For decorating:

1 teaspoon paprika

Large piping tip

Piping bag

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Cut the bread into small squares and pour the milk over it in a small bowl, pushing the pieces down into the milk. Soak until all the milk is absorbed.

Mince your onion finely. I usually use a small food processor for this to make sure there are no big bits because no one wants to bite into a big bit of onion.

In a large bowl, add your onion, ground beef, ground pork, eggs, ketchup, mustard powder and salt. Mash the soggy bread with a fork till it falls apart and then add it to the large bowl with all of the other ingredients.  Mix well.

Divide the mixture in half and press it into the smash cake pans. My whole mixture weighed 1062g so each pan holds 531g.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the meatloaf is browned nicely and cooked through to a safe internal temperature of 160°F or 71°C.

While your layers are baking, make the filling and "frosting." Peel your potatoes and cut them into chunks. Boil them until tender with the teaspoon of salt. 

Warm the cream and butter together till the butter is just melted. I do this in a microwaveable vessel, with quick zaps, watching carefully so it doesn’t boil over. 

Drain the potatoes and mash them right away. I find they mash with fewer lumps while still hot. Add in the melted butter/cream and the white pepper. 

Stir well till combined. Taste and add more salt if needed. 

Peel and cut the carrots into chunks. Finely mince the onion (or use a processor) for the filling. 

Boil the carrots until very tender then drain and mash them right away. 

Transfer the carrots to a heat -proof bowl and melt the butter in the pot you used to boil them. Sauté the curry powder and chopped onions in the butter until the onions are translucent and very soft. 

Add the carrots back into the pot with the 1/4 teaspoon of salt and mix well. Set aside.

When they are done, remove the meatloaf layers from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Run a silicone spatula around the edge to loosen. Carefully remove them to plates.

Top one meatloaf layer with the carrot filling. 

Carefully put the second meatloaf layer on top. 

Cover the “cake” with the cream potatoes. 

You should have plenty left over so don't be shy.

Add the paprika to 3/4 cup or 170g of the cream potatoes and mix well.

Fit a large tip on your piping bag and use a spatula to add the paprika potato down the insides of the bag in stripes. Spoon the rest of the cream potatoes in the middle of the piping bag. Decorate the “cake” by piping on little rosettes or stars.

I did a row around the bottom, then a row around the top. And because more is more, I piped rosettes to cover the top. You do you. 

(You will probably have potato leftover at the end unless you choose to cover the whole cake with rosettes. Eat it as is or follow these instructions to make baked Marquis potatoes with the rest. 

I must confess that by the time I finished assembling the “cake” it was closer to room temperature than hot so we sliced it up and warmed it by the slice in the microwave. Delicious! 

If you make one to trick your family, I’d love to hear about it!

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and, as mentioned above, we are sharing April Fool’s Day recipes. Many thanks to our host, Camilla from Culinary Cam. Check out all the illusion recipes below:

• April Fools Calzone Donut by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• April Fools' Day Chicken Nuggets & French Fries by Sneha's Recipe
• Big Ice Cream Taco by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Grogu's Frog Egg Dessert by Palatable Pastime
• Hot Beef Sundae by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• My Ideal Birthday "Cake" by Food Lust People Love
• Potted Plant Cremeux by Culinary Cam

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Warm Root Vegetable Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing

This warm root vegetable salad with pomegranate molasses dressing is perfect for an autumn meal, hearty but tangy, a nice transition from lighter summer salads.

When are vegetables a salad and not just a side dish? For me, it’s the dressing that makes the difference to what this dish is called. If I parboiled the root vegetables, roasted them and simply added butter, this would not be a salad! 

I give the approximate weight of the root vegetables I used below but feel free to mix it up and substitute an approximate amount of your favorites. My mom would probably welcome turnips here. I’m not a fan but maybe you are. Can’t find Jerusalem artichokes? Use more of the other vegetables or substitute potatoes. 

That said, the dressing goes best if the root vegetables do have some innate sweetness, like parsnips and carrots do. 

Warm Root Vegetable Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing

This dish serves two as a light lunch with, perhaps, some crusty bread, and four as a side dish. If you have a bigger roasting pan, it is also easily doubled. Pomegranate molasses can be found at most Middle Eastern stores and occasionally in the international aisle of some supermarkets. 

Ingredients

For the warm root vegetable salad:

11 1/3 oz or 320g Jerusalem artichokes 

2.2 lbs or 500g parsnips

7 oz or 200g carrots

1 small brown onion

4 cloves garlic

Generous drizzle olive oil

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

To stop the peeled vegetables from oxidizing:

Bowl of cold water

2-3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

For the dressing: 

8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

(The garlic above after roasting)

Method

Get a pan of water on to boil for steaming the vegetables. 

Peel the artichokes and cut them in half, adding them to the bowl with cold water and the lemon or lime juice to stop them turning brown. Small ones can be left whole. 

Peel the parsnips and cut them into large pieces, Add them to the lemon water as well.  

Peel and cut the carrots into large pieces and place them in a steamer basket above the boiling water. Drain and add the artichokes and parsnips. 

Cover and steam for about 15-20 minutes or until all the vegetables are just tender. 

While the vegetables are steaming, start your oven to preheat at 400°F or 200°C. Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. 

When the vegetables are just tender, tip them into a roasting pan where they fit in a single layer. 

Tuck the onion wedges and garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled, in among the vegetables. Pour over the drizzle of oil, season with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Toss the vegetables gently to make sure they are coated in the oil and seasonings. Roast in your preheated oven for about an hour or until they are golden. 

Check that they are soft inside. If they start to brown too much or too early, turn the oven down to 350°F or 180°C.

While the vegetables are roasting, make the dressing by whisking the olive oil into the pomegranate molasses in a small bowl. 

As soon as the roasted root vegetables come out of the oven, remove the garlic cloves and peel them.

Use the side of a large knife to mash them with a good pinch of fine sea salt. 

Add them to the dressing and whisk well to combine. 

Spoon over the dressing over the vegetables. 

Serve warm.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today my blogger friends and I are sharing recipes to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival which takes place on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. This year, Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Friday, September 29, 2023. Check out all the recipe links below!

• Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Crockpot Mexican Butternut Squash Soup from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Fresh Fig Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Golden Moon Milk from Culinary Cam
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Sambar from Cook with Renu
• Keto Chilled Cucumber & Avocado Soup from Sneha's Recipe
• Smashed Potatoes from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Warm Root Vegetable Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing from Food Lust People Love

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Carrot Greens Pesto

Don’t waste those carrot tops, make pesto with them! Garlicky, cheesy and rich with toasted pine nuts, carrot greens pesto is a delicious way to take advantage of an ingredient many people cut off and throw away. 

Sometimes I buy carrots in the organic section of the supermarket (or at a farmer’s market) just so I’ll also have the greens to make pesto. It makes me feel virtuous to use something that many people don’t, but best of all, it’s wonderful and fresh. 

On that same subject and nothing to do with this recipe, but did you know you can also eat the greens from beets? I sauté them with garlic and a little olive oil, sprinkle of salt and they are so good! And I get to feel virtuous again. 

Carrot Greens Pesto

My greens were from seven carrots, as you can see in the photos but if you have a bit more or less, it’s still all good. I roasted the carrots and served them with pesto on top for an all-carrot dish. The leftover pesto was fabulous stirred through linguine, always my first choice pasta shape. 

Ingredients

1 cup, packed, or 30g carrot greens, leafy parts only, no stems

Scant 1/3 cup or 50g pine nuts

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil

1/3 cup or 30g freshly grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Method

Toast the pine nuts in a dry non-stick skillet. This doesn't take long, just a few minutes. Keep shaking the pan so they don't burn. 

Cut the ferny ends of the carrot greens off, leaving the harder stems behind. 

Stuff them in your small food processor and add the other ingredients except the Parmesan. 

Process until smooth. Add the Parmesan. Process again. 

Like all pesto, it’s that easy. 

Chill until ready to use. Put some pasta on to boil or roast the accompanying carrots. Pat yourself on the back and feel virtuous. One less item for the compost or trash bin. 

Bonus recipe: Roast Carrots 

Not really a recipe, but here you go. This is how I do it. 

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C. 

Pop the scrubbed carrots in a small pan and drizzle them with olive oil. 

Roast the carrots in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until they are lovely and a little sticky and a fork pokes into them easily. You might want to give them a shake halfway through if your oven doesn't heat evenly all round. 

Top them with the carrot greens pesto and serve warm. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes for homemade sauces. Many thanks to our host Amy of Amy’s Cooking Adventures. Check out all the links below: 

• Nasturtium Pesto by Cook with Renu
• Buffalo Chicken Sauce by Palatable Pastime
• Homemade Marinara Sauce by Sneha's Recipe
• Carrot Greens Pesto by Food Lust People Love
• Rockfish with Cajun Butter Sauce by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Stir-Fried Squid in Black Bean Sauce by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Parsley Walnut Pesto by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Pineapple BBQ Sauce by Amy's Cooking Adventures

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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