CARROT AND NUTMEG CUPCAKES // RAISE SOME DOUGH WITH COMIC RELIEF

We don't need much persuading when it comes to baking in our house, F always asks for Banana muffins or cookies when it's grey outside and loves helping out in the kitchen. I've been wanting to try my hands at sourdough bread for a while now – pass recipes this way please – but whenever I get my mixing bowls out, little hands appear demanding sweet treats.

On a grey day last week I thought it would be fun to don my new apron and #raisesomedough for Comic Relief. I love the bold graphic print and iconic red nose, and knowing that all the profits from each sale go to Comic Relief to help people living incredibly hard lives in Africa and the UK, is a great reason to get baking in the kitchen and teach F about being charitable.

So with an excitable boy at the ready, we decided to try a new recipe and whip up some Carrot & Nutmeg cupcakes. F wanted to get baking with things from his toy kitchen as well as get stuck in with all of the ingredients, stirring and measuring them carefully out. As always when it comes to the waiting to bake part F tends to wander off and play, only to shout every now and again "are they done yet?' I swear he thinks it makes them bake faster, and occasionally he'll wander in the kitchen and have a stern talk with the oven much to my amusement.

Ding! Yummy smells fill the kitchen and as soon as my back's turned two cupcakes disappear from the worktop as F sneaks then into the lounge to secretly indulge, a sign of success? I'd like to think so. If you fancy making your own Carrot and Nutmeg cupcakes you can follow the simple recipe below:

You'll need:
200g grated carrot
Zest of 1 Orange
100g Wholemeal flour
100g Self raising flour
1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1tsp Nutmeg
175g Demerara Sugar
2 Eggs
100g of unsalted butter (we used organic)
150g rapeseed oil

To make:

1. Preheat your oven to 180C and line your 12 hole muffin tin with cute cupcake cases, little hands will be happy to help with this task.
2.  In a mixing bowl mix together the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and nutmeg.
3. Using a small grater or peeler, grate the zest of the orange (the outer orange layer) and add into the mixing bowl.
4. In a separate bowl pour in the oil and add two eggs then whisk until combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the whisked oil and egg and add in the grated carrots.
6. Mix all the ingredients loosely and using a spoon, divide the mixture into the cupcake cases (there should be enough to make 24 cupcakes).
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and check with a skewer to check they're cooked in the middle.
9. Allow to cool and enjoy!

You can serve them with whipped cream cheese as cupcake toppers, but F prefers his cakes dry – crazy right! So it's that simple, raise money for charity and enjoy a cake with a cuppa, you can buy your apron here and #raisesomedough for Comic Relief, and when you've baked your masterpiece share it on social media using the hashtag. There will also be a twitter party between 1pm-2pm on Feb the 10th under the same hashtag if you fancy joining in the chat!

*This post is in association with Homebase.
** Mixing Bowls c/o Joseph Joseph