Carrot Cake Muffins with Cinnamon Maple Mascarpone Frosting

For the muffins:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease (or line with paper liners) two 12-count muffin tins. I used square muffin tins.

Place sugar, flours, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon in a stand mixer bowl. Mix on low till well blended. Add beaten eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Mix on low for 2 minutes. Then stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing on low until mixture is well blended.

Add carrots, raisins and pecans. Mix until all are incorporated. Pour mixture into the greased or lined muffin tins.

Bake on 350ºF for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Then take pan out of oven and place it on a cooling rack.

For the frosting:
Put the heavy cream into the clean bowl of your stand mixer. With stand mixer on medium speed (with whisk attachment), whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to over beat or the cream will be grainy).

In another bowl, stir together mascarpone, cinnamon, confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Spread or pipe immediately onto the cooled muffins.

After frosting the muffins keep them refrigerated.