Carrot, Walnuts & Orange Cupcakes with Valrhona White Chocolate & Cream Cheese Frosting

Finally found time and energy to bake over the past weekend :)

There are so many new recipes that I wish to try like macaron, swiss roll, chicken pie, curry puff etc. But since I so love the Super Moist Carrot & Orange Cupcakes with Walnuts topped with Valrhona White Chocolate & Cream Cheese Frosting taught during the recent Joycelyn's Spring/Easter Treats Baking Workshop, I shall start with this!

One downside of not baking frequently enough - I was more clumsy (scalded and cut myself, spilled stuff all over the kitchen) and inefficient due to poor work flow. However, I'm glad to discover a few tips that I didn't know before.

Basically even if there is a foolproof recipe, the oven and bakewares (in this case the cupcake/muffin case) play important roles that determine the success of the bake product too.

Tip 1: I tried to load 16 mini cupcake cases at one go and placed them very close to each other. Half the cupcakes were cooked and half not after the stipulated time. Now I know where the hotspot is in my oven and that I should not overload the oven.

Tip 2: For this recipe, I used white pleated cupcake cases and arranged them in a baking tin. I thought that since it is cupcake, it should be the same as what I did for other recipes. Somehow, the batter couldn't rise and bake properly, resulting in very ugly and uneven tops; and some overflowed into a 'muddy mess'. For subsequent bakes, I used muffin cases and placed the cases into muffin pans. It worked and the cupcakes turned out perfect :D

Well, I sort of wasted 16 cupcakes (not presentable) but at least around 7 turned out beautifully (for my photos). And I was lucky to have good sunlight (it has been raining cats and dogs recent afternoons) for taking photos! Really pleased with the photos this time :D

Proudly presenting my Carrot, Walnut & Orange Cupcakes with White Chocolate & Cream Cheese Frosting in a Marker and Message Plate (message can be written and erased)! Isn't this plate sweet? Bought it online from Hallmark.com. It was love at first sight. I just have to have it when I was surfing the net for serveware and cake plate.

Yummy looking cupcakes in a sweet looking plate + good natural lighting, great combination for taking photos. I was quite obsessed and took photos at every possible angle, haha :p

It was a good baking day, despite some mishaps and pain. To top it off, the cupcakes were absolutely delicious :d~~~~~