carrot cake muffins

carrot cake as below.

muffins made at 150c fan, 22 mins.

ngredients

For the carrot cake

- 2 medium carrots (approx. 200-250g/7-9oz)

- 75g/3oz golden sultanas

- 60ml/2¼fl oz rum

50g walnuts chopped

50g candied orange peel, chopped

- 150g/5oz caster sugar

- 125ml/4½fl oz regular olive oil, plus extra for greasing

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 3 free-range eggs

- 250g/9oz ground walnuts

- ½ tsp ground nutmeg, or to taste

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

- ½ lemon, finely grated zest and juice

50g walnuts as topping, chopped

For the cream (optional)

- 250g/9oz philadelphia

- agave syrup

- orange juice

Method

1. For the carrot cake, preheat the oven to 150c fan.

3. Grate the carrots in a processor (for ease) or with a coarse grater, then sit them on a double layer of kitchen paper and wrap them, to soak up excess liquid. Set aside.

4. Put the golden sultanas in a small saucepan with the rum, bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 3 minutes.

5. Whisk the sugar and oil until creamily and airily mixed.

6. Whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs and, when well whisked, fold in the ground almonds, nutmeg, grated carrots, golden sultanas (with any rum that clings to them) and, finally, the lemon zest and juice.

7. Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. The batter will be very shallow in the tin.

8. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over the cake and put it into the oven for 30–40 minutes, or until the top is risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out sticky but more or less clean.

9. Remove from the oven and let the cake sit in its tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then unspring and leave it on the rack to cool.

10. For the mascarpone cream, mix the mascarpone with the syrup and orange juice.

11. To serve, transfer the cake to a plate. Put the mascarpone cream in a bowl to spoon alongside the cake, for those who want.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/gluten-free_and_11807