Happy Early Easter Part 2: Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and [Mock] Marzipan Carrots

I have wanted to work with marzipan for a long time. I used to love playing with play dough and modeling clay, and I heard that marzipan is similar, only edible. The one problem: marzipan is made from almond paste and that won't work for me unless I wear gloves. I started searching for mock marzipan recipes and found this. I was so excited to try it out, then when I saw the Recipe Girl make marzipan carrots for Easter, I knew I had to make them! I've been wanting to make the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting from the Silver Palate Cookbook for a while now, so I decided to make it into cupcakes and decorate with the marzipan carrots. I came up with this idea the day I saw the marzipan carrots, and then two days later the Recipe Girl posted these mini carrot cheesecakes with cream cheese frosting. I guess great minds think alike ;)

These cupcakes are really good. They taste very similar to my mom's recipe for Pineapple-Carrot Bread that we make at Christmas, except this recipe has coconut. After Bob tried the Tres Leches Coconut Cupcakes and these, he said that in one day I had made two of the best cupcakes he's ever had! That's quite an endorsement for these recipes! :)

Please don't mind all the pictures - these were so fun to photograph!!!
Mock Marzipan

Ingredients:
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
food coloring

I just made 1/4 of this recipe and had a bunch left over.

Directions:
1. Beat shortening until light and fluffy. Add corn syrup and salt. Beat well. Gradually add powdered sugar. Add extract.

2. Gather mixture together into a ball and knead until smooth. If mixture is too dry to knead, add water, a few drops at a time to reach a good kneading consistency. If mixture becomes sticky, coat hands and kneading surface lightly with additional powdered sugar.

3. Divide and color as desired with liquid or paste food coloring. Keep marzipan covered while working with it to avoid drying out. Store in a tightly covered plastic container at room temperature if not using immediately. Mock Marzipan will remain soft and pliable about one week. It can be frozen up to 3 months.
Source: Adapted from Imperial Sugar


Marzipan Carrots

Ingredients:
Marzipan
Food coloring, liquid or paste
Cocoa powder
Green tops of carrots

Directions:
1. Color the marzipan orange either using orange food coloring paste or a mixture of yellow and red liquid food coloring (this is what I did).

2. Break off pieces of marzipan and roll into carrot-shapes.

3. Dampen a small knife and dip edge in cocoa powder. Carefully make indentations with the cocoa-dipped knife on the carrots to represent the soil. (You can also brush on the cocoa powder with a small brush).

4. Store carrots in a ziplock bag until ready to use.

5. Just before placing on desired dessert, use a round toothpick to insert a small hole in the top of the carrots. Slide in a piece of carrot frond.

Source: Adapted from The Recipe Girl

Carrot Cupcakes

This recipe makes a LOT of batter. I only have pans for 18 cupcakes, so I poured the rest into a 9-inch springform pan to make a small cake. The original recipe should be baked in two 9-inch springform pans for 50 minutes.

Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups corn oil (or Canola)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped (omitted)
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 1/3 cups pureed cooked carrots
3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple
Cream Cheese Frosting (below)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place muffin liners in two 12-cup muffin tins.

2. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in the walnuts (if using), coconut, carrots, and pineapple.

3. Pour the batter into the muffin cups. Set on the center rack of the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

4. Cook the cupcakes on a rack for 3 hours or covered with foil overnight before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

Directions:
1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl.

2. Slowly sift in the confectioners' sugar and continue beating until fully incorporated. The mixture should be free of lumps.

3. Stir in the vanilla, and lemon juice if desired.

Source: Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook