Ad Hoc Carrot Cupcakes



Ad Hoc Carrot Cupcakes
makes 24 cupcakes

2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 cups finely shredded carrots
1 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two standard muffin tins (12 cupcakes each) with paper liners.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinammon into a bowl.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,  beat the eggs, milk, vanilla and both sugars until smooth.  Beat in the oil.  Slowly add the dry ingredients.  Mix in the carrots and 1 cup of the chopped walnuts. 

Use a large ice cream scoop to portion out the batter in to the 24 paper lined cups.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Rotate the pans and bake for another 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.   Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.

Decorate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Miracle Frosting
makes about 4 cups (enough for two 9-inch cake layers or 24 regular cupcakes)

1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 tbl cornstarch
¼  tsp salt
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
16 tbl unsalted butter, softened (8 oz or 2 sticks), cut into 16 pieces
8 oz cream cheese, softened, cut into 1-inch pieces

Combine sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Pour mixture through fine-mesh strainer into medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture boils and is very thick, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer milk mixture to clean bowl and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

With stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat cooled milk mixture and vanilla on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add butter and cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.