I think I was a teenager the first time I tasted red velvet cake and I remember thinking that it was out of this world because I love sweet cake that’s topped with cream cheese frosting. There’s just something about the contrast between sugary-sweet sponge cake and smooth, creamy and ever so slightly tart cream cheese frosting that really rocks my little world.

These red velvet muffins were created one day when I discovered that I had a tub of lactose-free cream cheese in the fridge which needed to be used up and I figured that it’d be a great topping for a red velvet cake. As much as I enjoy baking full size cakes, sometimes it’s nice to make individual muffins because I find that they can stay soft and moist for longer. This is also helped by the addition of grated carrots which add a natural sweetness and help to keep the cake soft.

These red velvet muffins are an absolute doddle to make, but they’re very rewarding in flavour. The sponge is light and bouncy, the cream cheese frosting is smooth and creamy and if that’s not enough the whole muffin is topped off with a scattering of dark chocolate chips. It’s quite simply the perfect muffin, in my humble opinion.

Ingredients for the muffins:

180g sugar

175ml vegetable oil

3 eggs

190g carrots (grated)

200g gluten-free flour (I use Dove’s Farm G/F flour because it’s made with low FODMAP ingredients whereas many other gluten-free flours are made with high FODMAP options.)

50g cocoa powder

1 tsp xatham gum

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

100ml rice milk

1 tsp red food colouring (optional)

Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting:

150g lactose-free cream cheese (or a dairy-free version)

100g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Dark chocolate chips (to decorate)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 200C/180C Fan/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Put 12 muffins cases in a muffin tray.

Mix all of the wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and then add all of the dry ingredients and mix well.

Divide equally between the 12 muffin cases and bake in the oven for 20-25 mins or until a skewer pushed into the middle of one comes out clean.

While the red velvet muffins are baking make the cream cheese frosting by mixing all of the frosting ingredients together in a bowl.

Once the muffins are done leave them to cool completely before topping them with the frosting and chocolate chips.

Serve.

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