Dalaran Carrot Cupcakes
Happy May, food adventurers! It is Children’s Week in Azeroth, which means a visit to Aimee in Dalaran for her famous carrot cupcakes. Aimee has been a food vendor in the floating city for many years. She added carrot cupcakes to her pastry offerings when Dalaran was located above the frozen lands of Northrend, and mage portals allowed travelers to gather the giant carrots that grew in the Crystalsong Forest below the city. Adventurers who were good at running away from wolves got very fast at harvesting carrots.
Although the city is no longer considered a hub for travel, the Children’s Week celebration brings adventurers through in search of treats for the children who tag along and look forward to spending the day with heroes of the Horde and Alliance. It’s basically the Azeroth version of “take your child to work day” except that the adventurers bring other people’s children. Wander through the city, listen to the crowds of children playing games and making new friends, and catch a magic show by the Great Akazamzarak, a goblin busker who does tricks in front of the fountain. Check out all the shops and get yourself some new adventuring gear. Treat yourself!
These cupcakes are amazing and you’ll see why they ended up in a city full of magic when you try them.
Dalaran Carrot Cupcakes
Equipment
- two 1-dozen cupcake pans
- 24 Paper cupcake liners
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups chopped walnuts
- 1 ½ cups avocado oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 3 cups grated carrots (11 1/2 oz)
- ¾ cup golden raisins and/or regular raisins
- Cream cheese icing or vegan maple buttercream icing for decorating and serving
- Decorations (candied nuts, carrot twirls, etc.) optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line your cupcake pan with paper liners, and lightly grease the liners with cooking spray.
- Toast the chopped nuts by putting in a pan over medium heat on the stove, stirring occasionally, just until warm, toasty, and fragrant. Remove from hot pan immediately so they do not burn. Set aside and let cool. (toasting is optional but adds extra deliciousness!)
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, salt, eggs, and spices.
- Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir in just until all the flour is moistened. (overmixing will make the cupcakes less fluffy)
- Add the carrots, nuts, and raisins. Mix until just blended.
- Pour batter into the prepared cupcake liners.
- Bake the cupcakes for 22 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it, and the edges are starting to brown but not too much.
- Allow the cake(s) to cool completely before frosting. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
- Frost the cooled cakes and garnish with toasted nuts, walnut brittle, or candied carrot twirls.
