Ann's Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake Pumpkins

These carrot, pineapple, and chocolate chip cupcakes are baked in a Panasonic CIO and decorated to look like pumpkins with orange frosting.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 818 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups cake flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 (1.5 ounce) tube black decorating gel
• 3 drops orange food coloring
• 1 tablespoon cake flour
• 0.5 cup butter
• 0.5 cup chopped walnuts
• 0.5 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 1.5 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, or more as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). (If using a countertop induction oven, preheat to 325 degrees F.) Grease 12 pumpkin-shaped cupcake molds (silicon molds work well).

Step 2

Sift 2 cups cake flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Mix in sugar, oil, and eggs until combined. Stir carrots and pineapple into the batter.

Step 3

Place 1 tablespoon cake flour in a bowl. Toss walnuts and chocolate chips in flour until coated; fold into batter.

Step 4

Pour batter into cupcake molds to about two-thirds full; gently tap molds onto work surface to remove air bubbles.

Step 5

Bake in preheated oven (or countertop induction oven) until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes (or 15 to 20 minutes in the countertop induction oven). Cool to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes; remove from molds.

Step 6

Frost cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting; decorate with black decorating gel.

Step 7

Combine butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until well blended, 4 to 6 minutes. Mix in confectioners' sugar on low speed, 1/2 cup at a time, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Add lemon juice and orange food coloring; stir until combined. Refrigerate until set, 15 to 20 minutes.