Pineapple Carrot Cupcakes

Spring is finally here!!! And in my opinion it could not have come soon enough! Don't get me wrong, I love snow, but after a while it just gets to be too much. This week is very special to me, because my mom's birthday is this week. Her favorite cake is carrot cake, so I wrote this recipe for her. She loved it, so i hope you do as well! :)

Pineapple Carrot Cupcakes

Yields 24

Cupcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

3/4 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup crushed pineapple (1 drained and pressed 8oz can)

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups confectioner's sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon and baking soda until combined.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the vegetable oil. Gradually beat in the sugar until thick, then beat in the vanilla.

Gently beat in the dry ingredients until combined.

Fold in the carrots and pineapple with a spatula. Make sure they are both evenly combined in the batter, so you don't have huge chunks of either in a cupcake.

Fill cupcake cups halfway, and bake on 350 for about 25 minutes.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes still may look wet on the top when they are cooked, so check with a toothpick even if they look under-cooked. You don't want to over cook them!

For the frosting, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth {about 5 minutes}. Be sure to have softened the butter slightly before hand so there aren't clumps of butter in your yummy frosting.

Gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar, about a half a cup at a time. I suggest sifting it in so there aren't lumps in it, because like I said before, no one likes lumpy frosting.

Beat for 3 to 5 minutes after everything is combined to get the frosting smooth and fluffy.

Pipe with a circle tip onto the cooled cupcakes and top with golden raisins {because they are way better than regular raisins}.

My mom is the strongest woman I know, and I hope to one day be half of the woman that she is. She's taught me the importance of family and faith and so much more. Her joy and love and perseverance inspires me every day to try to be a better person. God has blessed me with the greatest mother in the whole world {probably because He knew that I would be a handful :P}, and I am eternally grateful for everything she has taught me and everything she has walked me through.

So Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you so much!

"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Psalm 91:14-16