Dining Detour

Last week, Kate and I made Betty Crocker proud, by making carrot cupcakes, a carrot cake and some fabulous cream cheese frosting. We found a great recipe, and then substituted in a few ingredients that we liked better.

Carrot Cupcake recipe: Southern Living with a few twists from yours truly

Ingredients

• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons  baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 3  large eggs
• 2  cups  sugar
• 3/4  cup  vegetable oil or use 3/4 cup apple sauce
• 3/4  cup  buttermilk or use 3/4 cup pain greek yogurt with a splash of milk
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 2  cups  grated carrot
• 1 (3 1/2-ounce) can pineapple juice
• 1  (3 1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut or just a few pinches
• 1  cup  chopped pecans or walnuts

Carrot Cake

Instructions

For Cake: Spray or grease two 9 inch pans with either cooking spray or butter.
For Cupcakes: Place muffin tin liners in cupcake pan OR spray the muffin tin with cooking spray. Set pans aside.

Stir together first 4 ingredients.

Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold (stir) in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into muffin tin 3/4 full. Divide the remaining batter into the prepared cakepans.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Make Frosting (recipe below) and then spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Top each cupcake with some grated carrot.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a medium bowl, using a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar.