Carrot Cake Cupcakes

After careful consideration on what desserts I would be baking for the Easter holiday, I came across an amazing recipe for carrot cake cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting at Smitten Kitchen.  What would be a better Easter dessert than carrot cake cupcakes?? After all, I hear rabbits and bunnies love carrots... I adapted the recipe a little because I'm not a fan of raisins in my carrot cake and for my sweet tooth, more maple in the cream cheese frosting was completely necessary!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bow until well blended and whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots and walnuts.

Fill cupcake pans until 3/4 full.  Bake cupcakes 14 - 18 minutes (I found 18 minutes was more accurate) or until a tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in pans and transfer to a cooling rack.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 packages cream cheese, softened (8 oz)
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners sugar
3/4 cup pure maple syrup

Beat all ingredients on medium until fluffy using an electric mixer. Chill frosting for 10 - 20 minutes until it has set enough to spread smoothly. Fill pastry bag and frost cooled cupcakes.

I used decorating pearls, sanding sugar, and cupcake decorations (bunny toothpicks) from Williams Sonoma to make these cupcakes as cute as can be for our Easter celebration. These cupcakes are absolutely fabulous and are delectably moist! Hope everyone had a great holiday with family and friends!