Carrot cake is one of those classic desserts that always feels warm, comforting, and a little special. When it is paired with rich cream cheese frosting, it becomes even harder to resist. With so many baking ideas available from Duncan Hines, the Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Decadent Carrot Cake mix immediately stood out as a recipe worth trying. I had always enjoyed carrot cake, but I had never made carrot raisin cupcakes like these before, so this was the perfect excuse to get baking.
Carrot Raisin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
These carrot raisin cupcakes are soft, moist, and full of flavor. The cake mix makes the recipe simple, while the pineapple, carrots, and raisins give the cupcakes a homemade texture and a naturally sweet taste. Finished with cream cheese frosting, they are a wonderful dessert for spring baking, family gatherings, parties, or a weekend treat with coffee.
Ingredients
1 box Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Decadent Carrot Cake
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup hot water, used to soak the carrot and raisin pouch for 5 minutes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple
Optional variation: 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 16-ounce container Duncan Hines® Creamy Home-Style Cream Cheese Frosting
Begin by adding the carrot and raisin pouch from the cake mix to 1 cup of hot water. Let the mixture stand for at least 5 minutes so the carrots and raisins can soften and absorb the liquid. This step helps create the moist texture that makes these cupcakes so enjoyable.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, flour, baking powder, eggs, vegetable oil, drained crushed pineapple, and the carrot-raisin-water mixture. The pineapple adds sweetness and moisture without overpowering the carrot cake flavor.
Mix the batter by hand until everything is fully blended. About 50 strokes should be enough. Be careful not to overmix, as a gentle hand helps the cupcakes bake up tender and soft.
Line cupcake pans with paper liners and fill each cup about two-thirds full with batter. Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Once baked, let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes on a wire rack. After that, remove them from the pans and allow them to cool completely before adding the cream cheese frosting.
These cupcakes were a huge hit with my family. The combination of moist carrot cake and creamy frosting is classic, but the raisins and pineapple make the texture even better. They taste rich and sweet without feeling too heavy, and they have just enough fruit and spice flavor to make them stand out from an ordinary cupcake.
I especially enjoyed them with my morning coffee. They reminded me a little of a soft carrot muffin, which made them very easy to justify as an early-day treat. After all, they include carrots, raisins, and pineapple. That may not turn them into breakfast food, but it certainly makes them feel extra comforting and homemade.
The cupcakes disappeared quickly. In fact, they were gone within three days, which is always a good sign when trying a new dessert recipe. This is definitely a recipe I would make again, especially for anyone who loves carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
Spring Baking Basket
If you enjoy spring baking, a basket filled with baking mixes, frosting, and useful accessories is a fun way to get inspired in the kitchen. Duncan Hines offered a spring baking basket featuring assorted Duncan Hines products and baking accessories like the one shown below.
Giveaway
Duncan Hines offered one reader a spring baking basket that included assorted Duncan Hines products and baking accessories, with a stated value of $50.
Main entry: Readers were asked to browse Duncan Hines recipes and share something they would love to try.
Additional entries: Extra entry options included following or liking Duncan Hines and Baby Loving Mama on social media, following the blog, subscribing by feed or email, sharing the giveaway, adding blog buttons, or writing a blog post about the contest.
Win a Duncan Hines Baking Basket ARV $50 & Carrot Raisin Cupcakes Recipe @babylovingmama @RealDuncanHines http://bit.ly/dciOjv #giveaway RT!
This contest ended on 5/17/10 at 11:59 pm CST. U.S. residents only. The winner was to be selected using random.org and given 72 hours to respond to the winning notification email before another winner would be chosen.
Disclosure: I received a baking mix sample for the purpose of this review, but no other compensation was received. This did not affect my honest review. The opinions and experiences shared here are my own, and your experience may differ.