Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups canola oil

4 large eggs

3 cups grated carrots peeled

1 cups coarsely chopped walnuts optional

1/2 cups raisins optional

2 (8-ounce) cream cheese packages softened

1 unsalted butter stick room temperature

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup pure

Equipment

bowls

whisk

cupcake molds or 9-inch cake pans

grater or food processor

cooling rack

piping bag (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line 24 cupcake molds with papers, or butter and flour them.

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in medium bowl to blend.

Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time.

Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and raisins, if using them.

Divide batter among cupcake molds, filling 3/4 of each.

Bake cupcakes 14 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for five minutes or so, then transfer cakes to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before icing them.

To make a carrot layer cake: Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans instead of cupcake molds. Line bottom of pans with waxed parchment paper. Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, and bake the layers for about 40 minutes each, or until a tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off paper; cool cakes completely.