Betty Rocker's Cherry Orange Carrot Cupcakes

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup canola oil or 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cups carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon orange zest (1 orange)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Recipe

• 1 for cupcakes:.
• 2 preheat oven to 350. set paper cupcake liners in 2 muffin pans to make room for 24 cupcakes (my muffin pans have 12 spots each). in an electric stand mixer, combine sugar, oil, and applesauce. add eggs one at a time. then add dry ingredients and mix to combine. add carrots, nuts, and cherries, and mix again. fill each cupcake liner with about 1/2 cup of batter.
• 3 place on middle rack of oven and bake until set, about 45 minutes. remove from the oven and allow cupcakes to cool.
• 4 for frosting:.
• 5 combine all ingredients in electric stand mixer and blend for several minutes until all lumps of powdered sugar disappear.
• 6 you can frost the cupcakes by dunking them upside down into the frosting, twisting, and flicking a cute little peak over on top when you pull them out.
• 7 i like to put a dried cherry or a sliver of crystallized ginger on top.