Preheat your oven to 190 degrees celsius (fan-forced) and line 2 x 12 hole muffin tins with paper cases.

Place the butter into a microwave safe bowl and cook for 30 second spurts until melted. Set aside until needed.

Grate the carrots into a large bowl and add the self raising flour, brown sugar, sultanas and mixed spice and lightly stir to combine.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the milk, egg, vanilla extract and melted butter and mix until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tins until the are approximately ½ full.

Place the muffin trays into your preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes or until they are golden and cooked through when tested with a skewer.

Let the Carrot Cake Muffins cool in the tins for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.

To make the cream cheese icing, place the softened cream cheese, soft butter and lemon rind into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on a medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the icing sugar mixture and mix again on a medium speed until combined. Use a spatula to add a light coating of cream cheese icing to each cupcake. If you would like to pipe the icing onto the cupcakes like I have done, you will need to double the cream cheese icing mixture.