Chef Pauletta Malone makes Vegan Carrot Cupcakes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Chef Pauletta Malone stopped by the WCTV set for her first time and shows us how to make vegan carrot cupcakes!

Vegan Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup pure cane sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup grapeseed oil

1 cup applesauce

¾ cup almond milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 ½ cups grated carrots

1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350o F and prepare 12-cup muffin pan using cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk well.

3. Pour in the grapeseed oil, applesauce, almond milk and vanilla, mix with a large spoon until combined. Fold in the grated carrots and walnuts.

4. Pour the batter into lined muffin tins, filling ½ full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

5. Once completely cooled, frost with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting or Vegan Vanilla Frosting if preferred.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

½ cup vegan butter (8 tablespoons), slightly softened to room temperature

8 ounces vegan cream cheese

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar, more if needed

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the slightly softened vegan butter and beat with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until creamy and smooth.

2. Drain any extra liquid in the vegan cream cheese container, add it to the bowl and beat for 30 seconds to 1 minute to combine the butter. Do not over beat at this point or frosting may be too runny.

3. Beat in the vanilla to combine. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until thick and spreadable. Normally four cups but you may need a little more.

4. At this point, if your frosting still seems a bit too soft and runny for spreading, stick the bowl in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Take it out, stir and put it back in the freezer for another 15-20 minutes if needed until a thick consistency is reached.

Pauletta Malone Bio:

Greetings, I’m Pauletta G. Malone and I’m passionate about vegan cuisine! I have enjoyed cooking and especially baking since I was about 10 years old. As a child, on long hot summer days while others were out playing, I was rambling through my mom’s box of favorite recipes. I can remember the way my mother’s eyes would light up when she walked in the door to the smell of a fresh baked apple pie. Through the years I have tested and tasted hundreds, if not thousands of recipes.

After my mother and grandmother died of heart disease both at the age of 74, I began to focus on a healthier lifestyle that began with changing my diet. In 2012, I became vegetarian and last year I went completely vegan. This was one of the best decisions I ever made. I have never felt healthier! As a vegan, I can still bake and prepare delicious and nutritious foods that are free from animal ingredients.

My education and work experience as a Food, Nutrition & Wellness educator inspired me to birth PGANE, LLC in August of 2021. Since starting the business, I have communicated with so many people who not only love my food creations but also have requested an expansion of foods and services.

The goal of PGANE is to nourish the mind, body and soul.

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