Carrot Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and Pralines

Cupcakes

1. Cook carrots in a saucepan, covered in water for about 20 – 30 minutes or until carrots are tender.
2. Drain the carrots and chop in a food processor, or mash with a potato masher.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
5. Add oil, eggs, pineapple, and vanilla into the well.
6. Mix on low until ingredients are combined.
7. Stir in carrots, pecans, and coconut.
8. Line three 12-count muffin tins with liners.
9. Scoop batter to fill tins evenly.
10. Bake 15 – 16 minutes, until it passes the clean fork test.
11. Remove cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely.

Praline Sauce

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir in brown sugar and cream.
3. Continue stirring until it boils, reduce the heat and boil for 3 minutes (keep stirring).
4. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and let cool.

Candied Pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, orange juice, and pecans.
3. Stir to coat.
4. Spread mixture onto a greased baking sheet.
5. Bake for 12 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and spread pecans onto tin foil.
7. Separate the pecans while they’re still warm, otherwise they’ll break when you try to pull them apart later.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the room temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add cinnamon and vanilla.
3. Add powdered sugar in half cup increments, increasing the speed to high for ten seconds after every other addition.
4. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed.

Assembly

1. Using a half teaspoon, put a little smear of praline sauce on top of each cupcake.
2. Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes*.
3. Place a candied pecan on top of the frosting on each cupcake.

*When piping the frosting, start from the outer edge of the cupcake, making a ring around the praline sauce, and work your way in. If you start from the center (which is what I normally do) the praline sauce will spread all over and a mess will ensue.