As Christmas looms over us there is nothing more satisfying than having your home having an aroma simmering through. The smells of mulled wine and the gentle spices would remind anyone of Christmas.
Carrot cake is one of our family favourites and even better is mulled wine and those lovely spices in a muffin.
Here they are Christmas carrot cake muffins. The gentle softness of the carrot cake infused with mulled wine and with an addition of cranberry heighten the crunch of the walnuts. Toped with cinnamon cheese frosting these really are little Christmas bites to be shared by everyone along with a warm glass of mulled wine on the side, for the adults of course.
Christmas Carrot Cake Muffins
Perfectly soft and fluffy carrot cake muffins with the addition of mulled wine and cranberries. Bring a family favourite to the table with that extra special christmas twist.
Servings: 24 muffins
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 250 ml sunflower oil
- 225 g golden caster sugar
- 3 Large eggs
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Ground nutmeg
- 250 g Carrots peeled and grated
- 100 g Golden sultanas
- 100 g Walnut halves
- 100 g Dried cranberries
- 250 ml Mulled wine
Cinnamon Frosting
- 200 g Cream cheese
- 50 g Butter softened
- 85 g icing sugar sifted
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C (fan 160C).
- Warm the mulled wine in a pan until simmering then add the carrots, sultanas and cranberries then tae off the heat while you prepare the base of the cake mix.
- Pour the oil in to a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. Whisk for a few minutes and then add the eggs and beat a minute more. Sieve in the flour and spices and mix with spoon.
- With a slotted spoon take out the carrots and fruit from the mulled wine and add to the cake mix and mix gently. Heat the mulled wine again and reduce by half. Take the mulled wine of the heat and then allow to cool for give minutes. Once cool add about 2 tbsp. to the cake mix and stir.
- Lay out your muffin cases and divide the cake mix evenly between them all. About 2/3 full.
- Place in to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. The muffins will be cooked if you place a skewer into the center cake and comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes then transfer to a cooling wire.
- For the frosting add the cheese, butter, icing sugar and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and mix with a spoon gently as to not get covered in icing sugar. Once mixed beat until nice and smooth.
- Once the cakes are cool spread over some of the frosting and decorate as you wish. Make as Christmassy as you like.
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