CARROT CUPCAKES WITH CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

This past weekend I barely escaped being sprayed by a skunk.  Unfortunately, our house got a little of the stink and I've been hanging out at Mummu's for the last few days.  You see, I went out in the evening to grab some laundry I had forgotten outside and, of course, Nalle runs out after me barking like a mad dog.  Our back door had opened in the process and, as I turn to go back to close it, I hear a crinkling on some construction plastic we have by the house from our basement waterproofing.  As I look to where the sound comes from I see a big white tail straight up in the air pointing towards me.  I think my fright/flight response kicked in as I took off so fast that my shoes even flew off!  Luckily, Nalle ran after me.  He probably thought I was playing a game with him.  So the skunk didn't get me, but it did spray by our back door which was open and our house has a lovely skunk smell.  Aaah!  So, in short, I couldn't hack the smell and have been hanging out at Mummu's and baking cupcakes.

It seems like all the celebrations in our family are in the fall.  Tech Guy and I share our wedding anniversary.  It's our 10th this year.  I still can't believe it has been that many.  Crazy!  We also have a ton of Birthdays.  Mummu recently had her birthday and I made  her some carrot cupcakes.  They turned out so well that I'm contemplating making these for the fall fox party.  Hmmm...Maybe I'll make some chocolate acorns to go on top.    These carrot cupcakes I made for Mummu's birthday since carrot cake is one of her favourites.  I also have a fondness for it myself as my Grandma used to make it quite often.  I topped the cupcakes with a simple cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots (this was 3 medium carrots for me)

Frosting:

1 package plain cream cheese (8 oz.) at room temperature

1/4 cup butter at room temperature

1 - 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups icing sugar

couple pinches of cinnamon (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Directions:

Cupcakes:

• Preheat your oven to 350 F
• Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside
• In another bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, eggs, yogurt and vanilla.  Stir in the grated carrots.
• Gradually stir in the dry ingredients into your mixture.
• Pour into a paper-lined muffin tin and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or when a cake tester inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean

*cupcake recipe adapted from here.

Frosting:

• cream the cheese and butter together well with an electric mixer until no lumps remain.
• Add in the vanilla and mix well.  
• Slowly add in the icing sugar while mixing at low speed
• finally add the cinnamon and mix to incorporate
• Use frosting on top of your cupcakes and sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired.

Here are a couple of pictures from Mummu's birthday.  Little Pilot wanted everyone to have a candle on their cupcake. :)

Have a great week!

sharing this recipe at these lovely sites & at SavvySouthernStyle & BetweenNapsonthePorch