Carrot Cake Cupcakes

This week was Tate's big bad 24th birthday. Along with a scooter and a watch, I decided to bake him a treat. I have never attempted to make a carrot cake before, and it quickly turned into carrot cake cupcakes (easier to distribute/I am not sure I could have handled a layered cake under that time crunch).

As soon as they went into the oven, my entire apartment started to smell like spices and fall. These were good- Without icing they were like delicious muffins. Well, at least that is how I was able to justify eating one for breakfast. 

They were moist, light and had a great hint of carrot and cinnamon. I chose not to make a spiced carrot cake, but added chopped pecans to the recipe (which added a great crunch to the soft cake). Although I was a tad concerned that the shredded carrot pieces would be too large and affect the texture of the cake, I think they turned out just fine.

Oh, and shocker, I used cream cheese frosting again... What can I say, It is my favorite!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cake:
2 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of salt
4 eggs
1.5 cups of Wesson oil
3 cups of carrots, shredded
1/2 cups of pecans, chopped

Frosting:
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese
1/2 stick of butter
1 box of powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Mix together all dry ingredients.

2. Beat eggs and add oil.

3. Combine dry ingredients with egg mixture.

4. Add carrots and nuts.

5. Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes. For a layered cake, pour into 3 greased 9 inch pans and bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes or 350 for 25-30 minutes.