Cashew, Carrot Cardamom Cupcakes With Cashew Cream

Ingredients

Cupcakes

makes 30 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 pound carrots

2 tablespoons ghee

1/2 cup water

1 cup full fat milk

1 teaspoon cardamom pods

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence

1 cup of sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons ground cardamom

1 cup cashews, chopped

Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup cashews

2 tablespoons vegetable or nut oil

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, room temperature

8 ounces or 1 package of Philly cream cheese

3 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

To Make the Cupcakes

Peel and grate the carrots with a fine grater. Sauté the carrots in clarified butter for about seven minutes until they are cooked. Add the milk and cardamom pods. Simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add 1/2 cup of sugar and stir to dissolve. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove of the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Remove the cardamom pods.That is the traditional Gajar Halwa.

In a large bowl, mix together the cooled, cooked carrot mixture, eggs, vanilla, 1/2 cup sugar, vegetable oil, and milk.In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.

Stir the flour mixture into the carrot mixture. Continue to stir until combined.Add the chopped cashews and stir to combine.

Scoop out into cupcake papers about 2/3s full. This will give you a nice dome that won’t overflow, so long as your oven is hot enough.

Bake at 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

To Make the Icing

Grind the cashews for a few pulses in a food processor to break them up.Add two tablespoons of oil and continue to pulse until the nuts start to get creamy. Add more oil, 1 teaspoon or so at a time, until you get to a creamy consistency like chunky peanut butter.

Beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add the cashew butter and beat to combine. Scrape the bowl.

Sift 3 cups of the powdered sugar into the bowl. Beat to combine.

Add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

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My food blog http://chocolatecardamomcappuccino.blogspot.com/ is so named because I love spices and in particular cardamom. I have also a webpage dedicated to cheesecakes so wander along and take a look.

http://www.squidoo.com/cheesecakesandcheesecakerecipes