Carrot Cupcakes

Oh how I love Carrot Cake. I don't really have much more to 

say about it than I just love it with my whole heart!

I love it just plain too, no raisins or pineapple or nuts.

(well maybe a few nuts sprinkled on top)

Recipe:

For the cake:

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp all-spice

2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups carrots (shredded)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 (8 oz) Cream cheese

1 stick butter (8 Tbsp)

1 pound powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Cream together the sugar, eggs, and oil. Sift together the flour, salt, b. powder, b. soda, and spices and mix into the sugar mixture and stir till batter is slightly lumpy. Do not over mix. Fold in the shredded carrots. Heat oven to *350. Pour into lined cupcake tins and bake for 16-18 minutes checking with a toothpick to make sure they are done. (if you are baking a cake, for a 9x13 bake for 40-45 minutes. For 2 round cake pans bake for 30-35 minutes.) 

For the frosting, soften the butter and cream cheese and cream together till smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla. In a pastry bag (or sturdy plastic baggie) pipe frosting onto the cupcakes. Top off cupcakes with either chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or some carrot shavings.

(Recipe Source: My Dear Mother)