Weekly Recipe #90: Carrot Cupcakes

At Open Farms, our carrot crop is still growing strong, sheltered from frosts in our cozy low tunnels.

In honor of these hardy orange roots, this week's recipe is for delightfully moist carrot cupcakes. Open Arms baker Rita Panton loves to use this recipe for the birthday cupcakes we deliver to our clients to celebrate their special day.

In addition to birthdays, these cupcakes would be a perfect dessert for your turkey day table: classic, delicious and even a bit healthy, since you'll get your fill of Vitamin A from the carrots.

Carrot Cupcakes
(Makes about a dozen huge cupcakes)

Cupcakes:
2 cups flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tbsp. ginger
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 1/2 cups grated carrot
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup walnuts, toasted

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together first four dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. In another, larger bowl, whisk sugar, oil and eggs together until smooth.
4. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
5. Fold in carrots, pineapple and nuts.
6. Scoop into greased muffin tins (or a large sheet cake pan) and put in the oven. Check cake with a toothpick after 28 minutes.

Frosting:
1 lb. cream cheese
1/2 lb. butter, softened
1/4 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp. vanilla

1. Whip all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Frost cupcakes after they have cooled.