Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Who doesn't love carrot cake?  Carrot cake is great anyway you have it; served in spring or fall, at birthday parties or baby showers, with nuts or without-- It's one versatile cake!  My oldest sister loves carrot cake, she even served it at her wedding.  When I found out she was coming into town a week after her birthday I was knew I had an opportunity to make some sort of baked goodie.  Carrot Cake Cupcakes!  

I just bought a new micro plane to grate vegetables with and while grating carrots to make the cupcakes, I sliced my thumb -- If you tend to sing and do little jigs in the kitchen like I do, beware when using a sharp new micro plane!  No blood or sweat really went into the batter, just love!  Sorry if that was a bit of over-sharing on my part... 

Anyway, they turned out and everyone in my family that tried them liked them.  The cupcakes were moist and the glaze added a light creaminess into each bite.  Yum...  As far ask cakes and baked goods go, I'd consider them to be fairly healthy.  As healthy as cupcakes can be... 

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tbs cinnamon

1 1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp ground ginger-- Crystallized ginger might be a tasty mix in too! 

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cup applesauce -- add more if the batter is a little crumbly

2  Ener-G egg replacers or 1/2 a mashed banana

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

2 1/4 cup shredded carrot

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Makes about 15 cupcakes.

Add the dry ingredients together and mix well.  Mix the applesauce, egg replacer and vanilla in another bowl and slowly add into the dry ingredients.  Once mixed, add the carrots.  Feel free to add any raisins, walnuts or any other mix-in you'd like.  Spoon into cupcake liners or right into the muffin tin.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until done.  Test with tooth pick before letting them cool.  After they have cooled, frost and enjoy!  

Cream Cheese Glaze

1 tub of Tofutti 'Better than Cream Cheese'  -- Try to find the one in the yellow container, this one does not contain hydrogenated oils.  

3-4 cups powdered sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla

With an electric mixer, mix the 'cream cheese' and vanilla.  Add cup by cup of powdered sugar until you've reached the right consistency you'd like to work with.  I lost count on how may cups I added, I'm pretty sure I used 3 and maybe 1/4 cup more?  Be your own judge and taste the glaze mixture until you've found a consistency you like.