carrot cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting

Hello, my love.

It's Thanksgiving!  Time for carrot cake....or carrot cupcakes!  And maple cream cheese frosting?  Yes, please.

I could stare at these things all day long.  And eat 'em all day too!
But let's get started!

Carrot Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Make 24 cupcakes and just enough frosting.  But I piled it on.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots (do this by hand...it takes awhile but it makes for fluffier cupcakes!)
2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350*.
Line 24 cupcake tins with papers or butter and flour.
Peel and grate your carrots.  (Get your hubby to do it - I did!)

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl to blend.  In a large bowl, whisk sugar and oil.  Whisk in eggs, one at a time.

Add flour mixture and stir until blended.  Stir in carrots.  Divide batter among cupcake molds, filling almost to the top.  Bake cupcakes about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for about 5 minutes them remove to cool completely before frosting them.
Meanwhile, cream the cream cheese, butter and syrup until fluffy.

Add powdered sugar and cream again.  Chill the frosting for 10-20 minutes until desired spreading consistency.

Spread with a butter knife or put in a ziplock, cut the tip, and pipe on big swirls.  Keep cupcakes in fridge.