Hello Vino Blog

With Halloween happening next weekend, the fall goodies are in full force and you may hit a party or two. You’re not a kid anymore, but are you craving some cookies, candy…and perhaps cupcakes? Instead of doing the standard chocolate or vanilla mini-cakes, how about some carrot cupcakes with some festive frosting? Make some carrot cake mummies just to be a little creative.

Carrot Cupcakes w/ White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing (recipe: allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 2 ounces white chocolate
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/8 cups white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
• In small saucepan, melt white chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth, and allow to cool to room temperature.
• In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white chocolate, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and orange extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Mix in heavy cream.
• Beat together the eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl, and mix in the oil and vanilla. Fold in carrots and pineapple. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix flour mixture into the carrot mixture until evenly moist. Fold in 1/2 cup walnuts. Transfer to the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before topping with the icing and sprinkling with remaining walnuts. 

Wine Pairings

Riesling: A sweet wine with peach & orange blossom 

Madeira: Sweet wine with caramel, almonds, & hazelnuts

Cheers!

The Hello Vino Team