Carrot Cupcakes With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated peeled carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
• 4 ounces neufchatel cheese, room temperature (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon pure maple extract

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
• 2 whisk together pastry four, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
• 3 in a separate bowl, whisk together oil, brown sugar, and eggs. whisk in the applesauce and vanilla extract. stir in the grated carrots.
• 4 add the flour mixture to the carrot mixture and stir just until incorporated.
• 5 divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. allow cupcakes to cook in the tin for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• 6 make frosting by using an electric mixer to beat cream cheese, maple syrup, and maple extract until smooth. once cupcakes are cooled completely, frost!