Dessertlandia: Smarties Party!! Carrot Cake Cupcakes in their fun outfits!

This funny request came from a young boy celebrating his 3rd Birthday! He is totally crazy for Smarties so there was no other option but to prepare his birthday cakes decorated with Smarties!

I have to admit I had soooo much fun while decorating the cupcakes. Each one had a different expression and I really felt like a kid again while drawing their little faces!

For the muffins I used my recipe for the carrot cake cupcakes and iced them with a smooth cream cheese frosting. And of course I had to pump the frosting up with some colors to match the crazy Smarties. I think they went out great and the birthday kid was also very happy!!

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

350g flour
120g caster sugar
150ml buttermilk or normal milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
150 g butter, melted
150g brown sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
3 grated carrots
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1package vanilla sugar (16g)
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
100g hopped walnuts - optional
100g raisins - optional

For the frosting

250g cream cheese (I used mascarpone)
1/2 cup powder sugar
16 gr vanilla sugar
150g butter, soft
Food coloring. I've used red, yellow and blue but you can use whatever color you like :)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.

In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder and soda, caster sugar, brown sugar, mixed spice, carrots, walnuts and raisins. Add milk, egg and melted butter. Mix until just combined, but doesn't have to be too precise. With a spoon scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. Remember to fill the muffin cases only 3/4 cavity otherwise they might overflow. You might have some mixture for the 13th and 15th cupcake, depending on the measures of your cupcake tin. Bake for about 20min and leave to cool down.

For the frosting: With a mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter when it combines add sugars and beat until combined and smooth. Divide the frosting in 3 parts adding to each of them a different color, mix until combined. Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired. I piped them with a piping bag using Wilton's 1M tip.