Carrot Cupcakes

By gina62_cooks

Ingredients

• CUPCAKES:
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups coarsely grated carrots
• FROSTING:
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Pinch fine salt
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preparation

Step 1

CUPCAKES
Heat oven to 350. Toast the pecans on a baking sheet til fragrant, tossing once, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop.
Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Mix together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg in a large bowl; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil and egg; fold in the carrots and 1/2 cup pecans. Add the carrot mixture to the flour mixture and mix til just combined and evenly moistened (don't overmix).
Fill the muffin cups and bake, rotating once, til a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
FROSTING
Beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed til smooth. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, beating til smooth. Refrigerate til slightly stiffened, 20 to 30 minutes. Frost the cupcakes and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of pecans.