pat's Recipe

Corries Carrot-Pecan Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Category: Cakes

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking soda
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups (three 4-ounce jars)baby food
carrots

frosting
one 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnemon

garnish

3/4 cup chopped pecans
12 dried apricots
1 bunch fresh mint

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 18 cups of two regular muffin tins with paper cupcake liners. Sift the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold in the pecans, coconut, and carrot puree.
Fill the prepared cups halfway. Bake until golden and a tester inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before popping the cupcakes out of the trays to cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the frosting, beat together the 4 icing ingredients. When the cupcakes are cooled, slather the tops with a generous amount of frosting.
If you want to garnish the cupcakes, roll the edges of each cupcake in the finely chopped pecans. slice each dried apricot into 3 small carrot-shaped wedges. Arrange 2 apricot slices on each cupcake, along with mint springs to look like carrot tops. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. They will keep for 3-4 days.

makes 18 cupcakes