[from Muffins: Fast and Fantastic (Third Edition) by Susan Reimer] So moist and delicious, and they don't taste at all like carrots! These have much less sugar and oil than traditional carrot cake. The icing is optional, of course. Makes 11--12 standard size 280g plain flour* 2 teaspoons (10) baking powder 1 teaspoon (5ml) bicarbonate of soda 1/4 teaspoon (1.2ml) salt 2 teaspoons (10ml) ground cinnamon 1 egg 110--140g fine white granulated sugar or light brown soft sugar 340g carrot, finely grated or finely chopped in a food processor---yields 400ml 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla essence 2 Tablespoons (30ml) liquid honey 60ml milk or water 90ml vegetable oil 60g chopped walnuts or raisins (optional) Icing (traditional with carrot cake): 60g cream cheese, softened (at room temperature) 110g icing sugar, sifted 1/4 teaspoon (1.2ml) vanilla essence * With self-raising flour, omit baking powder; do not adjust bicarbonate of soda.

Method

1. Prepare muffin tins. Preheat oven to 190--205 °C for a conventional
oven, Gas Mark 5--6.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of
soda, salt and cinnamon.

3. In a separate bowl, beat egg with a fork. Add sugar, carrot,
vanilla, honey, milk and oil. Stir well.

4. Scrape all of liquid mixture into dry. Stir lightly until evenly
combined. (Add walnuts or raisins during the final strokes if
using.) Batter should have a thick dropping consistency; carrot
releases liquid into the batter as it cooks.

5. Spoon into tins. Bake for about 20 minutes until tops spring back
when pressed gently. Allow muffins to cool before icing. Stir icing
ingredients together until blended; thin with a few drops of water if
needed.