carrot cupcakes w/ butter cream cheese frosting

Carrot Cupcakes:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup walnuts, chopped

¼ cup pecans, chopped

½ cup raisins (place in warm water to soften but drain water before combining)

2 large eggs

2/3 cup granulated white sugar

2/3 cup vegetable, safflower, corn, or canola oil

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or grated apple or crushed pineapple)

1 1/3 cups finely grated raw carrots (about 1/2 lbs. carrots)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

½ cup butter, room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 ¼ cups confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Carrot Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Lightly butter (or spray with a non-stick vegetable spray) or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

In another large bowl whisk the eggs until lightly beaten, then whisk the remaining wet ingredients including the raisins. Then fold this mixture into the flour mixture until incorporated. Evenly fill the 12 muffin cups with the batter and bake about 20 - 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting: In the bowl of your electric, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until very smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add more confectioner’s sugar if needed. Pipe the frosting on the top of each cupcake. Sprinkle finely ground nuts on top.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate the cupcakes until serving time. The cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. 

pound cake loaf

Ingredients

1 ¼ sticks Butter

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 large eggs

¼ t. butter flavoring

Lemon Zest

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. vanilla flavoring

1 c. all-purpose flour

¼ c. corn starch

3/4 t. baking powder

¼ c. Sprite, 7-UP, Or Sierra Mist (lemon-lime)

¼ c. milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

With a blender, cream butter. Add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add butter and vanilla flavoring, zest, and juice, and mix well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add milk and soda, and then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.

Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is firm and tooth pick inserted in the center, comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven, place on cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. Remove from loaf pan. Keep/wrap in saran. Slice, and enjoy!

*For bundt cake, double recipe and round up 1.