Pumpkin and Carrot Cupcakes

Pumpkin and carrot cupcakes are a delicious autumnal twist on the classic cupcake. Here is the recipe with an Italian touch:

Ingredients

• 200 g of cleaned and grated pumpkin
• 100 g of cleaned and grated carrots
• 200 g of all-purpose flour
• 100 g of brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 100 ml of vegetable oil
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch of grated nutmeg
• 1 pinch of salt
• Zest of 1 orange (for an all-Italian citrus touch)
• 100 g of chocolate chips (optional, to add a bit of indulgence)

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 250 g of spreadable cheese (such as Philadelphia)
• 50 g of soft butter
• 150 g of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Grated orange zest for decoration (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and prepare a muffin tin by lining the holes with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until you get a frothy mixture. Then add the oil, the grated pumpkin and carrots, and the orange zest.
4. Fold the mix of dry ingredients into the egg and vegetable mixture, mixing gently until you have a uniform batter. Also add the chocolate chips if you wish.
5. Divide the batter into the liners, filling them about 2/3 full.
6. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
7. While the cupcakes cool down, prepare the frosting: beat the soft butter with the cream cheese, add the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract, and continue to work until you have a smooth and homogeneous cream.
8. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, decorate each cupcake with the cream cheese using a piping bag or a spatula.
9. If desired, decorate with grated orange zest for a final touch of color and flavor.

Curiosity

Cupcakes have their origins in the United States, and their name began to be used around the 1920s. However, the pumpkin and carrot version can be seen as a cross between American cuisine and the spicy sweets typical of the European autumn, with a special focus on seasonal vegetables. In Italy, pumpkin is much loved in autumn dishes, including sweets, and is often paired with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.