Simple Carrot Cupcakes

Simple Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3⁄4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese
• 3⁄4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 3 cups grated carrots
• ½ cup golden raisins
• ½ chopped walnuts
• 1 3⁄4 cups sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract, divided

Directions:

1. Set out cream cheese and bring to room temperature.

2. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly grease cupcake pan with coconut spray.

3. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinammon, cardamom, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.

4. Peel carrots and grate on the large holes of a box grater right into bowl of dry ingredients. Use your hands to toss until well coated.

5. Add half of cream cheese into a large bowl. Add 11⁄2 cups sugar and work with hand mixer until well incorporated and no longer gritty all sugar is dissolved, about 15 seconds. Crack 2 large eggs into bowl, then whisk until mixture is very smooth. Slowly stream in 3⁄4 cup vegetable oil, whisking constantly. Add 2 tsp. vanilla extract and whisk again to combine.

6. Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture with your spatula until almost no streaks of floury bits remain. Mix in golden raisins and walnuts (optional) until well incorporated.

7. Pour mixture into cupcake tins. We are not using liners in this recipe. Fill to be 2/3 full so cupcakes have room to rise.

8. Bake cupcakes for 15 minutes, or unitl tester comes out clean. Let cool and remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

9. While cake cools, make your icing. Add remaining 8 oz. cream cheese into a medium bowl, 1⁄4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and pinch of kosher salt. Mix with hand mixer, then cover and chill until cake has cooled.

10. Place cooled cupcakes on a platter. Frost each cupcake then sprinkle with cinnamon.