Carrot Cupcakes with Edible Carrot Toppers

I can't believe we're in the later part of March and Easter is still a month away. Here are some carrot cupcakes with edible carrot toppers that I made for my Easter Bunny's birthday last year. I found the photos on my SD card when I was looking for other photos and then had to go searching for the back of the envelop I used to write down the recipe in case I wanted to share. There are always a few recipes or crafts that sneak by without posting, but this one was too good not to share.

Recipe:

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 cups cake flour

2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

2 t. ground cinnamon

pinch ground nutmeg

1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

3 cups shredded carrots

Preheat the oven to 325F. Mix the sugar, vegetable oil and eggs in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Sift together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg.

Shred the carrots. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well combined. Fold in the shredded carrots & nuts. Bake 325F for approximately 30-35 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, melt green candy melts to make the carrot tops.

Place melted green candy into a Ziploc and snip one corner for easy piping:

Make multiple loops for the carrot tops on top of wax paper and allow the candy to set. It will easily peel away once firm.

Shape carrots with orange colored fondant, gum paste or candy such as orange taffy. I had extra orange gum paste from making my nephew's Monster Truck cake. Form in a cone shape and score with a knife for the lines in the carrots.