Carrot cake has become a tradition for my husband’s birthday because I typically have carrots from the garden at this time of year. This year I decided to try making carrot cake cupcakes using my new air fryer.
The recipe that I have used for years for carrot cake made much more batter than I wanted to use for air fryer cupcakes since I could only do batches of 4 cupcakes at a time. I used individual silicone cupcake molds instead of a cupcake pan, because the one I had didn’t fit into the air fryer. I made 8 cupcakes and the rest of the batter made a 9” square cake.
Figuring out the right time and temperature for air frying was confusing since the temperature in the recipes I found ranged from 300° to 400°. I attribute this variation to the fact that there are so many different models sizes and wattages of air fryers. Mine is a 3.7 quart GoWise 1400 Watt Model. I recommend using the toothpick test to check for doneness after 10 minutes and then continuing to cook at the same temperature if the top isn’t browned sufficiently and at a slightly lower temperature if it is browned, but not done in the middle or a higher temperature if the cupcakes are significantly underdone.
I used a sour cream frosting which I think is a worthy substitute for cream cheese. However, I used the “lite” sour cream which was thinner than regular sour cream. I also added a tablespoon of lemon juice which gave it a nice flavor, but also added to the thinness. I added more powdered sugar to thicken up the frosting, but at a certain point, I decided that I didn’t want more sugar, so I sifted in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of corn starch to thicken it. Here are the recipes:
Carrot Cake
Dry Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups white sugar
Wet Ingredients:
3 cups grated carrots
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups cooking oil
Mix eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to mixture. Add grated carrots. Fold in nuts. Bake in 9×13 pan at 350° for approximately 30 minutes (until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean). Let cool before frosting. Alternately, fill cupcake molds 1/2 full (lined with cupcake papers). Bake them in your air fryer @ 300°F for 10 minutes, then an additional 7 minutes @ 350°. Since air fryers vary greatly in size and wattage, check for doneness with a toothpick .
This original recipe is from: Allrecipes.com. I added the information about air fryer cupcakes.
Sour Cream (or Cream Cheese) Frosting
1/3 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup sour cream (or 1/2 cup creamed cheese)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
Beat the butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar slowly. Add the sour cream and beat until you have a smooth creamy consistency. If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar or sift in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cornstarch.
This recipe for Sour Cream Frosting is from: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/recipe/cream-recipes/sour-cream-vanilla-frosting/
I first looked up the sour cream frosting because I had sour cream on hand and not creamed cheese. The second time I made it, I had cream cheese and just substituted it for the sour cream. So, it seems to be interchangeable for this frosting, though you may have to add a little water using the cream cheese.
(It’s healthy—made from fresh carrots from my garden.) 😜
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