Cream Cheese Filled Carrot Cake Muffins
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Carrot Cake Muffins – Tender deliciously spiced carrot muffins with a hidden cream cheese surprise center and a crisp sugar finish! You’re looking at luxury in muffin form. These are incredibly delicious muffins!
I hope you enjoy these delightful muffins, they are all the great things about carrot cake in muffin form,without waiting for a cake to cool and frosting it =). They would be great for an Easter brunch or any time you’ve got the craving for a delicious muffin or carrot cake. These muffins are a wonderful surprise to people. They think they are just biting into an ordinary cupcake only to find a spectacular, rich cream cheese filling that perfectly compliments the carrot cake muffins. Happy Easter everyone!
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Cream Cheese Filled Carrot Cake Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup lightly packed , finely grated carrots, about 2 large carrots
- 2 Tbsp Raw Turbinado Sugar or Sanding Sugar , divided
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese , softened (I softened in the microwave for 30 seconds on HIGH)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, whip together cream cheese, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, lemon juice and 1/2 tsp vanilla on low speed until mixture is smooth, set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, blend together 1 cup granulated sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, applesauce, eggs and 1 tsp vanilla for 30 seconds. Add in dry ingredients and mix just until combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in grated carrots.
- Fill paper lined muffin cups with an 1/8 cup muffin mixture (Note: it's important to keep these measurements even. Also, if you don't have an 1/8 cup measure out 2 Tbsp). Gently drop 1 Tbsp cream cheese mixture on top, in the center of each filled muffin cup, then cover the cream cheese mixture with an additional 1/8 cup muffin mixture. Sprinkle each muffin evenly with 1/2 tsp Raw Sugar. Bake 20 - 23 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- If necessary, run a knife around the edges of the cupcakes to remove from pan (note: I haven't tried this yet but spraying the top of the pan with non-stick spray before baking may help muffins remove more easily). Enjoy warm for a slightly runnier cream cheese filling or allow to cool 30-40 minutes for a set cream cheese filling. Store muffins in an airtight container.
- Recipe Source: Cooking Classy
