Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm a happy cupcake, I'm a happy cupcake, I'm a happy cupcake

Cup-a-cake, cup-a-cake

Put me in my happy cupcake home!

Mmmm Mmmm...

I made these carrot cupcakes this evening after being inspired by the new cupcake retailer in Ann Arbor, The Cupcake Station.  Of course, these little cakes are tastier if I do say so myself, and fresher.  They are definitely happier.  The following recipe is based off of a Martha Stewart recipe (my hero) but I have changed a few things to make the cupcakes more delicious.  

For the little cakes:

(makes about one dozen; when I made them the recipe made 14)

3/4 c walnuts, finely chopped 

1 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 heaping 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 lb carrots, peeled and shredded

2 eggs

3 T buttermilk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 c sugar

3/4 c canola oil

1 T ginger, peeled and minced

Reserve 1/4 cup of the chopped walnuts in a separate bowl.  Mix the rest of the dry ingredients together in a bowl (walnuts through cinnamon).  In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (begin with the egg, then add everything else; add the carrots and ginger last).  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.  Line a muffin tin with paper liners.  Pour some batter into each muffin cup and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.  Cool.  Pipe with frosting (I used Wilton tip 32).  Sprinkle sparingly with the 1/4 cup of reserved walnuts.  Serve.  May be kept in the refrigerator for several days.

For the frosting:

6 T unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 packages (12 oz total) cream cheese, room temperature

1 c powdered sugar, sifted

Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy.  Repeat procedure with cream cheese.  Add the sifted sugar and mix until incorporated.  

Enjoy.  

One of the lucky cupcakes in its happy cupcake home.  (The home is courtesy of Williams-Sonoma.)