carrot cake cupcakes

in honor of CAKES the bunny, i present to you the very first recipe on BUNNY PIE:

carrot cake cupcakes with white chocolate cream cheese frosting

2 oz white chocolate
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t orange extract
4 C confectioner's sugar
2 T heavy cream

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2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/8 C white sugar
1/3 C brown sugar
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract
2 C shredded carrots
1/2 C crushed pineapple, drained
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t ground ginger
1 C chopped walnuts

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preheat oven to 350 degrees F

frosting:
1. In a small saucepan, melt white chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth, and allow to cool to room temp.
2. In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white chocolate, 1 t vanilla, and orange extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Mix in heavy cream.

cakes:
1. Beat together the eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl, and mix in the oil and vanilla. Fold in carrots and pineapple.
2.In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Mix flour mixture into the carrot mixture until evenly moist. Fold in 1/2 C walnuts. Transfer to prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick instered inthe center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before topping with the icing and sprinkling with remaining walnuts.

makes 12 muffins