Carrot Cream Cheese Cupcake; Did We Mention It's Gluten-Free & Vegan?

Food photographer and vegan foodie Heather Sanderson shares her most salivating dessert recipe

Ingredients

Cupcakes

2/3 cup gluten-free flour 3⁄4 tsp baking soda 1⁄4 tsp baking powder 1⁄4 tsp ground ginger

1⁄4 tsp allspice 1/8 tsp salt 2/3 cup coconut sugar 1/3 cup coconut yogurt (or any non-dairy yogurt)

3 tbsp apple sauce 21⁄2 tbsp coconut oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup grated carrots Cream Cheese Frosting 1⁄4 cup vegan butter 1⁄4 cup plain vegan cream cheese 11⁄2 cups icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F. In a mixing bowl, add the yogurt, sugar, apple sauce, coconut oil, and vanilla and mix until completely combined. Add in your dry ingredients to the wet and stir until smooth. Fold in the carrots. Spoon the cupcake mix into 12 silicone cupcake liners until nearly full. (Paper would work too, but the silicone really helps to avoid any sticking.) Bake at 175°C/350°F for 30 mins. When a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, they are done! Allow to cool before topping with frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Add the cream cheese and vegan butter to a stand mixer and mix until combined. Scoop the icing sugar in 1⁄4 cup at a time while the mixer is running. Add in the vanilla and continue mixing until smooth and creamy. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, you could use a hand mixer or just do this by hand.) Pour the icing into a piping bag and top your cupcakes generously (make sure they’re completely cool). note These cupcakes need to be stored in the refrigerator or the icing will melt.