Easy Carrot Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.

Tip the soft brown sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the sunflower oil, and add the eggs. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots and chopped pecans.

Mix the self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda, and ground cinnamon in a separate bowl, then sift into the wet mixture. Lightly mix all the ingredients – when everything is evenly incorporated, stop mixing. The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them about ¾ full. Bake for 20–25 minutes until springy to the touch or a fork comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Beat the softened butter, low-fat soft cheese, and vanilla extract together until smooth and combined.

Add the sifted icing sugar in spoonfuls, beating until the icing is smooth and reaches your desired thickness.

Once the cupcakes are completely cool, ice them with the cream cheese icing. Top with extra chopped pecans for added crunch.