Welcoming Brian with some Mini Carrot Cupcakes

One of my favorite co-workers, Brian, is in town from New York this week. For those of you that know Brian, his breakfast usually consists of sugary cereal or M&Ms, so whenever he comes to visit, I make him a "healthy" breakfast which is usually some kind of fruit or vegetable flavored cupcake. For this visit, I've made mini carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting...that's healthy...right? I found the recipe on Martha Stewart's website and tweaked a few things.

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups grated carrots

1/2 cup raisins (excluded from my cupcakes)

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (excluded from my frosting)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 42 mini muffin cups with mini cupcake liners; set aside (I didn't have cupcake liners so I just lightly sprayed with Canola Oil.)

2. Beat sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle.

3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add three-quarters of the flour mixture to the sugar mixtrue; mix until will combined. Add carrots and raisins to remaining flour mixture; toss to combine. Stir into batter until will combined.

4. Fill each muffin cup with about 2 teaspoons batter. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of cupcakes comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes (I actually had to cook for 14 mins). Transfer cupcakes to wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before frosting with cream-cheese frosting.

Frosting Directions:

1. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add maple syrup, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar; continue beating until will combined and smooth.

Makes 42 frosted mini carrot cupcakes.
Recipe found on Martha Stewart