Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting for the Easter Bunny

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine the carrots*, pineapple, walnuts, and raisins in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat the oil, sugar and vanilla on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment – about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated and beginning to turn pale – about three minutes.

On low speed, add the carrot mixture and continue mixing until combined. Reduce speed to “stir” and add the flour, mix until the batter is smooth.

Fill each liner with a scant ½ a cup of batter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean and the cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly in the middle.

Cool on rack. Refrigerate until ready to frost – see notes below…pleeeze!

To make the frosting:

Beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla on medium until smooth using an electric mixer. Slowly add the sugar (and I mean slowly or you will have a confectioners’ sugar cloud in the kitchen) and beat until incorporated and smooth. Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes. Frosting can be made one day ahead and stored in the fridge. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

Notes:
* Grate the carrots by hand on the smallest tear drop holes of a box grater – this way the carrots are not mushy and not too chunky.

Also, when I fill my cupcake liners, I use an old-fashioned ice cream scoop ¾ full – the tins fill perfectly every time and do not overflow.

One last thing… If you can, make these cupcakes a day before, stick them in the fridge and let the flavors develop.