Carrot Cupcakes

After never having made cupcakes before I actually made two different types this weekend. The unit on the hospital where I am currently finishing my last practicum has a few pregnant nurses who are about to go on maternity leave. I knew that one of them would be having her last shift this weekend and I thought to make some cupcakes and bring them for the staff to share. I couldn't settle on one type so I made Red Velvet, secretly chocolate in flavor, and carrot cupcakes.

Despite my preconceptions about both, and the fact that I'm not crazy about cupcakes, I actually enjoyed the carrot cupcakes more than the red velvet. They were incredibly moist and the carrot flavor was present but not overwhelming. Combined with the cream cheese frosting, featuring subtle hints of lemon zest, I could see why lots of people love carrot cake.

Ironically, the nurse that I intended to bake the cupcakes for was sick and did not come in for her shift. Since I had already gone through the effort of baking the cupcakes and bringing them in I didn't want them to go to waste so the rest of the staff happily obliged in eating them.

Carrot Cucakes
Makes 12-14 standard sized cupcakes.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1½ cups finely grated carrots (about 3 medium-large sized)
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk to blend and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, lightly beat together the eggs and oil. Add the grated carrots and mix together. Note: I used a food processor to make sure the carrots were very finely grated because I didn't want large chunks in the cupcakes.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the batter comes together and everything is evenly incorporated.
4. Use a pre-greased or paper-lined muffin tin and fill each cup about ¾ full with the batter. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before removing to cool completely.

Note: I frosted the carrot cupcakes with the same frosting as the red velvet ones except I omitted the vanilla and added the zest of one lemon. The recipe can be found here.