Carrot Cake Muffins/Cupcakes

Really, these just give me an excuse to eat cream cheese icing first thing in the morning.

And who wouldn't want to do that??

Seriously though, I've served these as muffins (AM) and as cupcakes (Birthday celebration) and they are equally as delicious at any time of the day! I'm thinking that carrot cake in cake form means that it has to be dessert, while in muffin form, you can eat it at anytime. In that case, all my carrot desserts will be in muffin form :)

I prefer my carrot cake without nuts, so I left them out, and added lots of cream cheese frosting, just to cancel out the healthiness of the carrot :) Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Muffins/Cupcakes

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, room temp

3/4 c oil (canola or sunflower, vege will work)

1tsp vanilla

1 c sugar

1.5 cups shredded carrots

1/2 c chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 and line a 12 cup muffin tin (or a mini muffin tin) with paper liners

In an electric mixer, whisk together eggs, oil, vanilla, sugar on high for about 5 minutes until it resembles a runny mayonnaise. Stir in flour, baking soda, and cinnamon until combined. Stir in carrots (and pecans).

Divide batter among muffin tins (about 1/2-2/3 full), bake about 18-20 minutes for regular muffins or 8-10 min for mini muffins (inserted toothpick should come out clean). Cool in pan 5 minutes, then take out allow to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese icing!

Cream Cheese Icing

1 package (8oz) softened cream cheese

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cream together until smooth. Try not to eat the whole bowl until you are done frosting the cupcakes/muffins.