Mini Carrot Cupcakes with Vanilla Cashew Icing

MINI CARROT CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA CASHEW ICING

Ingredients – makes 18 mini cupcakes 

• 1 ripe banana
• 2 organic free range eggs
• ¼ cup macadamia oil
• 1.5 cups almond meal
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup brown rice malt syrup
• 2 large or 3 medium carrots grated
• ½ cup organic sultanas
• ¼ cup shredded coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170C
2. Add the banana, macadamia oil and eggs to a blender and blend quickly to a smooth paste.
3. Add the almond meal to a bowl with the baking powder and cinnamon and mix until evenly combined.
4. Pour the paste from the blender on top and stir the mixture in evenly.
5. Add the brown rice malt syrup, sultanas and coconut and mix in again.
6. Grate the carrot into the mixture and stir through evenly.
7. Line a mini muffin tray with 18 mini muffin liners and place the mixture into these.
8. These cakes contain a lot of grated carrot so you will need to even out the top of the cupcakes with the back of a spoon to ensure no grated carrot is sticking out (which would burn in the oven).
9. Bake at 170C for approximately 20-25 minutes (check after 15 minutes, mine usually take around 20 minutes or more). You can test the cakes with a fork to check it comes out clean.
10. Leave to cool.  The cakes will harden as they cool.
11. Enjoy!

VANILLA CASHEW ICING 

Ingredients 

• 2 cups raw cashews soaked for 4 hours
• 5 tablespoons coconut cream
• 2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until the mixture is smooth,
2. Remove the mixture from the blender into a bowl and place in the fridge for an hour to harden,
3. Remove from the fridge, give the mixture a stir and then place into a piping bag to swirl onto the cupcakes.
4. Enjoy straight away or place the cupcakes in the fridge to enjoy later!