Carrot Cake Cupcakes

I decided to make carrot cake cupcakes because I can make some great cupcakes.  Which is nice since every time I try to make cookies they come out flat, flat, flat.  This really irritates me, I am still trying to figure out why this happens.  But until then, cupcakes will have to be the dessert of choice.  Another great thing about cupcakes is that I can make butter cream frosting and lets just face the facts, butter makes everything better.

Source: Simply Recipes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
• 1/2 pound of carrots
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of buttermilk (or add a teaspoon of lemon juice to regular milk and allow to stand for 10 minutes)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil applesauce (I refuse to use oil in baking, so I always replace it with applesauce or butter)
• 1 tablespoon of orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons of ground cardamom
• 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Toast the walnuts in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• Rinse the carrots and peel the rough skins off, then grate the carrots.
• Place the carrots, buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest together in a bowl and whisk thoroughly.
• In another bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon.
• Fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture, being sure not to overmix. Fold in the toasted walnuts and coconut until evenly incorporated.
• Scoop into cupcake papers about 1/2 to 3/4 full and bake for 19-21 minutes at 350F, being sure to rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking. Afterward allow to cool for 5 minutes before taking the cupcakes out of the cupcake tin and allowing them to fully cool on a wire rack. Frost cooled cupcakes.
• Makes 12 cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz of Philadelphia cream cheese
• 3/4 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until well combined. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix. Spread onto cooled cupcakes. 

 Enjoy.