24-Karat Cupcakes

Baking for All Occasions, another winning recipe. I love carrot cake but am picky about it. I do not like pineapple in my cake and it must have cream cheese frosting. I liked Dorie Greenspan's Recipe best of all, Bill's Big Carrot Cake. Cook's illustrated has a ginger-orange carrot cake with orange frosting that you wouldn't turn away either. (Try their 1 day trial and get the recipe..it is worth it).

24 Karat Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Icing

Source: Baking For All Occasions

Cake
2 cups peeled baby carrots
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tea baking powder
1 1/2 tea cinnamon
1 tea baking soda
1/2 tea salt
1/2 tea nutmeg, freshly grated
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tb lemon juice
1 tea vanilla extract
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sweetened flaked dried coconut

350 degrees butter 12 cup muffin tin or line with papers. All ingredients should be at room temp.
In food processor, finely chop the carrots. Set aside
Stir together, butter and oil. Set aside
Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg onto a sheet of wax paper. Set aside.
In mixer with paddle beat together the eggs and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 1/2 min. Reduce speed to low add butter mixture, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in three additions, beating well after each and scraping down sides. Detach the paddle and mix in carrots, walnuts, and coconut until evenly distributed with a rubber spatula. Fill muffin cups 3/4th full. Bake until golden brown on top and firm but springy about 25 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Icing
1 8oz cream cheese, room temp
3 oz unsalted butter, softened
1 tea vanilla extract
1 cup + 3 Tb powered sugar, sifted
1 Tb finely grated orange zest
1 tea finely grated lemon zest
about 1 Tb fresh lemon juice

In mixer with paddle attachment beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on med low speed until creamy and smooth about 1 min. On low gradually add powdered sugar, until spreading consistency.  Using rubber spatula mix in zests and lemon juice to taste.

Can be stored at room temp for 2 days