Winter Blues Remedy
By: Lady Catherine ...
Published: Thursday, January 12, 2012 - 9:30pm

Ingredients




Carrot Cupcakes
(Adapted from Reader's Digest - Creative Cooking)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes
For carrot cupcakes you will need:
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon orange zest
4 eggs
1½ cups finely grated or shredded carrots
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
2½ cups AP flour, sifted
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup warm water
For Cream Cheese Frosting you will need:
1 8oz. package of cream cheese
1½ cups confectioner’s sugar
Juice of half an orange
Dried craisins for garnish

Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tins. Grate carrots into a medium side bowl with a paper towel, to soak up some of the excess water. Set aside. 2 Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Next beat in cinnamon, nutmeg sugar, and grated orange zest. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then gradually stir in the carrots and nuts. 3 Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the carrot mixture with the warm water. Fold in the flour just until it is well moistened. 4 Pour the batter into the cupcake tins and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean. 5 A few minutes after removing from the oven, loosen the cupcakes from the sides and turn out on a rack to cool. 6 Combine cream cheese, sugar and orange zest for frosting and generously spread over each cupcake once cupcakes have completely cooled. If desired, add a few dried craisin on top. (I have an apparent obsession with craisins, but they go really well with these cupcakes)!