Carrot Cupcakes With Ginger-Cream Cheese Icing

From Bon Appetit, April 1999. Moist, gingery, delicious! Freeze well, too.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• Cupcakes

• 1  cup all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 2⁄3 cup  vegetable oil
• 2  large eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups  finely grated peeled carrots
• 1⁄4 cup  crushed pineapple in juice, drained

• Ginger-Cream Cheese Icing

• 6  ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 6  tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3  cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 -3  teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until well blended. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture in 2 additions, beating until well blended after each addition. Mix in carrots and pineapple. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
2. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Turn cupcakes out onto racks and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)
3. Spread top of each cupcake with scant 3 tablespoons Ginger-Cream Cheese Icing.
4. To make the icing: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar and ginger; beat until fluffy and smooth. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature, then beat until fluffy before using.).