Lion and I made this special little treat earlier in the year but somehow I never got around to posting. So – it’s a bit late, but still delicious.

This carrot cake is fabulous dressed up with cream cheese frosting for nicer occasions. As well as delicious as a morning muffin warmed in the toaster oven and spread with a bit of butter. On this particular day we made a loaf and muffins for breakfasts and snacks throughout the week.

For this recipe we took a shortcut and used a leftover box cake we had in the cupboard. The ending result turned out wonderfully. I don’t tend to make cakes or breads with boxed or prepared mixes simply because I like being able to control the ingredients. However, when I find I’ve got a random box cake sitting around I love the opportunity to jazz things up a bit and turn it into something we all really love.

Semi-Homemade Carrot Cake / Muffins

• 1 box of yellow, white, or spice cake mix.
• 3 cups shredded carrot
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp clove
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger (optional)

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Poor into a greased cake pan, loaf pan or muffin tin. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min for a cake/loaf. Baked at 350 for 18-25 min for cupcakes. Or until edges are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

We hope you enjoy this recipe, and if you try it, we hope you’ll let us know in the comments how things go. Wishing you all good health and happy cooking!