When you slice them open, these fun muffins reveal a carrot ‘growing’ inside. Crumble some cooked muffin to resemble soil on the serving platter.
12 people20 minutes25 minutes
Ingredients
2tspBaking Powder
175gCaster Sugar
25gCocoa Powder
2largeEgg
100mlRapeseed Oil
or olive oil
250gSelf-Raising Flour
1largeSuperValu Orange
Finely grated zest
2tspVanilla Extract
175mlWhole Milk
Icing
1 - Orange Gel Food Colouring
12sprigsSuperValu Fresh Mint
350gSuperValu Icing Sugar
1largeSuperValu Orange
Finely grated zest
175gUnsalted Butter
softened
0.5tspVanilla Extract
2tbspWhole Milk
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a 12-hole deep muffin tin with paper muffin cases.
Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the sugar and toss together.
Beat the milk, oil eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest together in a jug. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to give a smooth, thick batter.
Divide the mixture evenly between the cases and bake for 20 minutes until springy to the touch. Remove and leave to cool completely.
For the icing, place the butter, milk, vanilla extract, orange zest and half the icing sugar in a large bowl and beat until well combined. Beat in the remaining icing sugar until smooth. Adding a little at a time, beat in enough food colour to give your desired tone. Spoon into a disposable piping bag, which has been cut to give a 1½ cm wide opening.
Once cool and using a small, sharp-pointed knife, cut out the centre of each muffin in a cone shape with a top diameter of about 3cm and reaching almost to the bottom. Pipe the icing inside and then about 3cm proud of the top. Finish with a mint or carrot leaf on top.