Carrot and Golden Beet Cupcakes with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting

I haven’t left my house for 15 days. I never thought I would say that in my life. It was already crazy going into final exams at my university (as it always is) and they just shut it all down. I physically had to sneak into a building on campus to take the exams in the format prescribed. It was wild. I must really value education more than I thought (haha). Being a scientist is a double edged sword. On one side, all you want to do is understand the way the world works in its most intricate forms, so you spend your whole life seeking it. On the other side, you can never learn or understand it all, as it will never stop evolving. So exhausting and so rewarding. I love it. Truly.I study all day and most nights most of the year, so when I get time off, I try to get on a plane the very first second possible to explore food somewhere else in the world. This is how I like to decompress from the intense pressure of exams and the monotony of fluorescent lighting. That was not possible this year, so I spent spring break baking. A lot. Like, a lot a lot. Cooking is something we still have the luxury to do with fresh ingredients, and I plan to eat fresh as long as possible, because who knows how this shelter-in-place order will all play out. I have a few delicious recipes I came up with in quarantine and wanted to share them with you 🙂

  • First, Carrot and Golden Beet Cupcakes with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting.
  • Preheat oven to 350 F
  • Cupcakes160 g
  • All purpose flour80 g
  • White sugar 80 g
  • Brown sugar 1 tsp
  • Baking soda 1/2 tsp
  • Baking powder 1/2 tsp
  • Salt 1/2 tsp
  • Sutmeg powder (fresh ground is best!)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 cup ‘juiced’ carrot*
  • 1 cup ‘juiced’
  • Golden beet*
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil (or some type of vegetable oil)
  • 1/2 cup water*

I used a juicer to juice the carrots and beets and make an amazing golden milk type smoothie (recipe available at Rainshadoworganics.com), and I had this lovely fine dry pulp that I didn’t want to waste. I mean, fresh organic produce should not be wasted. I used the pulp compacted into 2 cups, which worked perfectly when I added water to the recipe. You could use a food processor or old fashioned grater, but you would have to omit the water, and it will taste much more earthy. It is already a pretty strong earthy flavor, so it’s up to you.

  • Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer or use a hand mixer, or use a whisk by hand.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let cool completely.
  • Frosting 227g cream cheese at room temp (8 oz standard size block)
  • 60g rainshadow lard at room temp
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 200g powdered sugar
  • Juice of 1 lemon (zest it first and save!)
  • Mix all ingredients in stand mixer or use a hand mixer, or whisk by hand.
  • Let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes while cupcakes are cooling.

Frost and enjoy!

Cheers!-@theprimalfocus