Easter mini-cupcakes

I like baking for the holidays, no matter what it is.. so with Easter and Spring (though I can't explain why it snowed yesterday) just around the corner... I thought I'd get in the spirit with some carrot mini-cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting.

A simple and easy recipe to follow, courtesy of the food network recipe website:

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpse flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1/3 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/3 tsp of ground nutmeg
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup natural apple sauce
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp walnuts (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz/1package of cream cheese
3/4 cup icing sugar sifted
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

Garnishment:

1/4 cup of shredded coconut
1 bag of candy chocolate mini eggs
green food colouring


Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pans with cups or spray with cooking oil.
2.  Sift together into a medium bowl, flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3.  Whisk together oil, brown sugar and eggs in a large bowl.
4.  Whisk in apple sauce, vanilla and carrots.
5.  Add flour mixture into wet ingredients until combined.
6.  Stir in walnuts.
7.  For mini cupcakes drop two tablespoons into muffin cup. For large cupcakes fill about 2/3 of the muffin cup.
7.  Bake for 20 minutes on centee of oven rack.
8.  While cupcakes are baking, with an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese sugar and lemon zest for the icing.
8.   In a small bowl mix coconut shreds with a few drops (4-6) until coated with food colouring.
9.  To check doneness, use a toothpick to insert into the middle of the cake, it should come out clean. Once cupcakes are baked, let cool on wire rack.

Now for the fun part...

10.  Decorate by spreading cream cheese mixture over each cupcake
11.  Spread coconut shreads out on plate, roll cupcake till cream cheese is covered.
12.  Place a chocolate candy covered egg in the center.

Simple as that.... now enjoy your Easter Carrot Cupcakes