Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

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INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/2 cups canola oil
4 medium eggs
1 (4-ounce) jars pureed baby food carrots
(Heinz or Gerber Stage 2)
1 cup chopped pecans

INGREDIENTS for Cream Cheese Icing:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) package confectioners' sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

TO PREPARE:

For the cupcakes, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk the canola oil and eggs in a bowl until blended. Stir in the carrots. Add the flour mixture to the carrot mixture 1/3 at a time, blending well after each addition. Stir in the pecans.

Spoon the batter evenly into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing, beat the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Blend in the vanilla. Add the confectioners' sugar gradually, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat until the icing is light and fluffy, adding additional confectioners' sugar or vanilla for the desired consistency. Fold in the pecans. Spread the icing over the tops of the cupcakes.

NOTE: Using baby food carrots in this recipe eliminates the time and mess of grating and cooking fresh carrots. Adding carrots or zucchini to a cake or bread batter guarantees a moist product.