CARROT CUPCAKES with WHITE

CARROT CUPCAKES with WHITE
CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE ICING

2-oz. white chocolate
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. orange extract
4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbsp. heavy cream

2 eggs lightly beaten
1-1/8 cups white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots
½ cup crushed pineapple
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350^. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.

In a small saucepan, melt white chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth, and allow to cool at room temperature.

In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white chocolate, 1-tsp. vanilla, and orange extract. Gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Mix in heavy cream.

Beat together the eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl, and mix in the oil and vanilla. Fold in carrots and pineapple. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix flour mixture into the carrot mixture until evenly moist. Fold in half-cup walnuts. Transfer to prepared muffin cups.

Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before topping with the icing and sprinkle with remaining walnuts.

Yield: 12 servings.