Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups finely grated fresh carrots
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fluffy Cream-Cheese Frosting (Recipe Below)
Sugared carrots for Garnish (Recipe Below)

Fluffy Cream-Cheese Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 (8-ounce) container Coolwhip, thawed

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and butter and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.  Add whipped topping and beat to combine.

Sugared Carrots:

Finely shred carrots, wrap them in paper towels, and squeeze them completely dry.  Toss in sugar to coat.  The carrots must be COMPLETELY dry so that the sugar won't liquify.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with paper liners.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil and eggs.  Add oil mixture to flour mixture.  Beat at medium speech with an electric mixer until combined.  Add carrots, pecans, sour cream, and vanilla, beating to combine.


Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling two-thirds full.

Bake about 16 to 18 minutes until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack.  Frost tops of cupcakes with Fluffy Cream-Cheese Frosting and garnish with sugared carrots.