Easter Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Maple Frosting

2 cups flour {could use coconut flour}

2 tsp soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ginger

1 cup sugar 

1 cup brown sugar 

1 cup oil {vegetable, canola, or melted coconut}

1- 8 oz can crushed pineapple, lightly drained 

2 tsp vanilla

4 large eggs

3 cups peeled & grated carrots {5-6 large carrots}

1 cup pecans, chopped 

1/2 cup raisins 

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Whisk flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a small bowl. 

In a large bowl, mix sugars, pineapple and oil until well blended. 

Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, and add flour mixture. Mix till well blended. 

Mix in vanilla, carrots, nuts and raisins. 

Divide equally into three 8" or two 9" pans that have been greased and floured. {I also like to put wax paper in bottoms so I know the cakes will come out clean.}

For 8" pans, bake for 30 mins. 

For 9" pans, bake for 40 mins. 

Check center with a toothpick. Done when toothpick comes out clean. 

Cool cake in pans for 15 mins then turn onto wire cooling racks. 

Cool COMPLETELY before frosting. 
{Can be made into cupcakes. Fill 2/3 full and bake 12-15 mins.}

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*Cream Cheese Maple Frosting*

2 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick {1/2 cup} butter, room temperature 

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup PURE maple syrup

3-4 cups powdered sugar

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Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. 

Add all other ingredients and 1/2 of the powdered sugar and mix. 

Add more powdered sugar until thick enough to spread nicely. 

Mix till fluffy.

Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes

1 pkg. white cake mix
1 pkg. {3.4 oz.} Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup water
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp. oil
1 pkg. {8 oz.} Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup {1/2 stick} butter, softened
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 pkg. {16 oz.} powdered sugar

{HEAT}

oven to 350ºF.

{BEAT}

first 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer on low speed until moistened. {Batter will be thick.} Beat on medium speed 2 min.

Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.

{BAKE}

21 to 24 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.

Cool in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks.

Cool completely.

{BEAT}

cream cheese, butter and juice with mixer until well blended.

Gradually add sugar, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended.

Spread onto cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

I got this recipe from Ina Garden.
It is heavenly.
Originally it had coffee in it but I took it out for those of us that don't do coffee.
A must try.

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

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Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
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In a lrg. bowl, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.

Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well.

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In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and sour cream.

In another med. bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds, to the large bowl with the butter and sugar mixture, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture.

Mix only until blended.
Divide the batter among the cupcake pans.

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Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

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Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

{Makes about 15 cupcakes.}
Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing.
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{Peanut Butter Icing}
1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

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Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in a med. bowl.

Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work.

Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Apple Cupcakes with Marshmallow Cinnamon Frosting

Haven't tried these cupcakes but since it's fall time and you can try anything and should try everything apple or pumpkin when it's fall I am going to make them soon!
Let me know how they turn out when you make them!

{Makes 12 cupcakes}

{For the Apple Cupcakes:}

1 ½ cups shredded peeled apples

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

½ cup oil {you could use canola oil}

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

{To prepare the cupcakes:}

Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake liners or coat with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Set aside.
In Another bowl, with an electric mixer set at medium speed, combine the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla; beat 2 minutes.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the batter, starting and ending with dry ingredients.

Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Fold in the grated apple.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes.

Cool in the pan 5 minutes before placing on a rack.

Let cool completely on a wire rack for about an hour before frosting.

{For the Marshmallow Frosting:}

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup water

2 egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a metal bowl.

Set over a saucepan of about 2 inches of simmering water.

Whisk until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm {approximately 4 minutes}.

Transfer the egg white mixture to a bowl.

Beat until stiff glossy peaks form {about 7 minutes.}

Beat in vanilla and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.

Spread or pipe the frosting onto the completely cooled cupcakes and sprinkle cinnamon on top.
{If you don’t have a professional piping bag, make your own! Spoon the frosting into ziptop bag. Snip an opening off one tip and pipe topping onto each cupcake.}

Coconut Cupcakes

A few months ago I found a coconut cake mix, at the store, along with the coconut frosting.
I told my friend, who LOVES coconut and tries everything coconut at least once, about it and when she went to the store to get it,
they didn't have it.
So I went to see if they still had it at the store where I live and it was gone.
Like it never existed.
So, I got to thinking that I needed to try my own hand at coconut cup cakes.
WOW!
They turned out fantastic!

Also, my family makes a white cake, with green frosting and green colored coconut flakes, every year for our Easter picnic. On each piece we place 3 candy eggs. It is so fun and the kids love it. So I'm going to add a picture of that in case you would like to try it. It's such a fun tradition.

Cupcakes:

1 white cake mix

1 tsp coconut extract

1/4 cup white flour

Prepare cake mix according to directions.

Add coconut extract and 1/4 cup white flour.

Mix well.

Put muffins cups into muffin tins and fill 2/3 full, with cake batter.

Bake according to directions on back of cake box.

Frosting:

1 tub of white frosting

1 tsp. coconut extract

1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Spoon frosting into a small bowl.

Add coconut extract and coconut flakes.

Mix well.

(If you would like,

you can toast some coconut under your oven's broiler, on high, for 2-3 mins.

Sprinkle on top of frosted cupcakes.)