Carrot Cake Muffins

For this recipe, I picked up sweet British carrots and organic walnuts from Waitrose, along with rich free-range eggs. Mixed in my trusty Mason Cash mixing bowl and baked in a heavy-duty ProCook 12-hole muffin tin, these muffins come out ridiculously moist, tender, and crowned with a delicate cream cheese drizzle.

Here is how to make the ultimate spiced carrot cake muffins in under 30 minutes!

The Ingredients

(Makes 12 bakery-sized muffins)

For the Muffins:

• 200g Sweet British carrots, finely grated

• 200g Plain flour

• 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

• 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

• 1 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp Ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg

• 100g Light soft brown sugar

• 50g Golden caster sugar

• 2 large Corrie Mains Farm free-range eggs (room temperature)

• 120ml Vegetable oil (or melted Graham's Scottish butter)

• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

• 50g Walnuts, roughly chopped

• 50g Sultanas or raisins

• A pinch of fine sea salt

For the Cream Cheese Drizzle:

• 100g Full-fat cream cheese (softened)

• 40g Icing sugar

• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

• 1-2 tsp Whole milk (to reach drizzle consistency)
  
  
  
  

The Chef’s Step-by-Step Method


Step 1: Prep / Spice

Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C Fan). Line your ProCook muffin tin with paper muffin cases. In your large Mason Cash bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sea salt until thoroughly combined.

Step 2: Emulsify the Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl or large measuring jug, whisk the eggs, light soft brown sugar, golden caster sugar, oil, and vanilla extract together vigorously for 1 minute until smooth and glossy.

Step 3: Fold Gently

Pour the wet mixture into the dry spices and flour. Using a spatula, fold gently until just combined. Fold in the grated carrots, chopped walnuts, and sultanas.


Chef’s Secret: Do not overmix! Stirring too much creates gluten, which will make your muffins dense instead of light and fluffy. A few small streaks of flour before adding the carrots is totally fine.

Step 4: The High-Heat Bake Trick

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cases, filling them nearly to the top. Bake at 200°C (180°C Fan) for the first 5 minutes. This initial burst of heat activates the leavening agents quickly, giving you those high, classic bakery domes! Then, lower the oven temperature to 180°C (160°C Fan) and bake for another 14–16 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 5: Drizzle & Serve

While the muffins cool on a wire rack, whisk the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla, and a splash of milk in a small bowl until silky smooth. Drizzle generously over the warm muffins right before serving.

 Chef’s Tips & Variations

Grate Wisely: Use the finer side of your box grater for the carrots. Finely grated carrots melt seamlessly into the batter, releasing their natural moisture and sweetness without leaving tough orange strands.


Nut-Free Option: Swap the walnuts for toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for a wonderful nut-free crunch!