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Carrot Garden Patch Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Equipment

  • Silicone spatula
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Resealable bag
  • Rolling Pin
  • Offset spatula (or butter knife)
  • Piping bag
  • Wilton #12 piping tip

Materials

  • 24 Chocolate Cupcakes
  • 1 cup Frosting without cocoa powder (see the "Chocolate Cupcake and Frosting" section below) for cream cheese carrots OR 24 Carrot Cake Pops
  • 1 batch Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Orange Gel Food Coloring
  • ¼ bag (85g) Green Candy Melts or another candy coating (like Ghirardelli) with candy food coloring (if necessary)

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

  • Start with your favorite chocolate cupcakes.
  • Make one batch of my Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe with the following modifications. Remove one cup of the cream cheese frosting BEFORE adding the cocoa powder. Use this uncolored frosting to make the orange frosting for the cream cheese frosting carrots and/or add it to carrot cake to create Carrot Cake Pops. Finish the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe by adding 2 Tbsp less of the cocoa powder to account for the frosting I removed.

Making Dirt

  • Since carrots grow in the ground, we need to make “dirt” to cover the cupcakes.  Using a serrated knife, cut a cone shape into each cupcake (i.e., smaller point at the bottom of the cupcake and wider part at the top of the cupcake) and remove the cake. 
  • Place the cake crumbs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and try to break the crumbs up as best as you can.  Bake in a 350°F/178°C oven for 15 minutes or until the crumbs feel firmer.  I took mine out every 5 minutes and stirred them on the baking sheet to get even baking.  Remove the crumbs from the oven and allow to cool completely.  The crumbs will harden and crisp up while cooling. 
  • Place the crumbs into a resealable bag, close the bag, and use a rolling pin to crush the crumbs into finer crumbs that will make for a nicer look on the finished cupcake. 

Melting Candy Coating - For Carrot Tops

  • Place approximately ¼ of a bag of candy coating discs in microwave-safe bowl and follow the instructions on the package to melt the candy coating.  Generally, the bag will specify to microwave on medium power for 15-30 seconds at a time, stirring thoroughly after each interval (even if they still look solid).  Please note, that candy coating can be overheated and scorched which will result in a seized mixture.  When there just a few small pieces left in the bowl, remove it from the microwave and let the residual heat melt the small pieces. 
  • If you find the melted candy coating to be too thick, add a small amount (e.g., ½ tsp) of vegetable shortening (e.g., Crisco) or solid vegetable fat (e.g., coconut oil) and stir to combine.  Continue adding vegetable shortening until the candy coating is thin and glossy.  Do not add other fats like butter or liquid vegetable oil because that will make the candy coating seize due to the presence of water.

Making the Carrot Tops

  • Set up a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside.  Pour the melted candy coating into a piping bag.  Cut off the tip of the bag to make a small, round hole and pipe 3 tear drop shapes next to each other on the parchment paper.  There should be 2 smaller tear drops on either side and a larger one in the middle.  All tear drops should all be touching.  Make a bunch of carrot tops (enough for each cake pop and a few extras in case of breakage) and leave at room temperature to solidify.  Remove them from the parchment paper by using your fingers to gently peel them off the paper. 

Decorating the Carrot Garden Patch Cupcakes - Starting Point for Both Options

  • Use the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting and an offset spatula (or a butter knife) to crumb coat the inside and top of the cupcake.  Using a piping bag fitted with a Wilton #12 piping tip, pipe a ring around the top of the cupcake.  

Finishing Decorations - Frosting Carrot Option

  • Dip the top of the cupcake into a bowl filled with cake crumbs.  Rotate the cupcake to cover all of the frosting on top.  Avoid getting the crumbs into the center hole.  Make sure to add the crumbs before the frosting crusts, otherwise, the crumbs will not stick. 
  • Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton #12 tip with the orange cream cheese frosting.  Fill the cupcake hole with frosting and continue piping until just above the “ground.” 
  • Place the candy coating carrot top into the top of the carrot. 

Finishing Decorations - Carrot Cake Pop Option

  • Fill the center with cookie crumbs and then flip the cupcake over to remove the excess crumbs.  Dip the top of the cupcake into a bowl filled with cake crumbs.  Rotate the cupcake to cover all of the frosting on top.  This will give the appearance of dirt while also making it less likely that the frosting will stick to the cake pops.  Make sure to add the crumbs before the frosting crusts, otherwise, the crumbs will not stick.
  • Place a Carrot Cake Pop into the hole.  This option is so cute because you can pull carrot out of the ground like you are a gardener!  I absolutely love it!