Carrot Cupcakes

This is my first post! And my first cupcake of the summer - carrot cupcakes. I made these because the Olin HPVC team left a huge bag of carrots at my house after their stay. They had been sitting in my fridge for quite a while and I thought I should make something delicious out of them before they started to rot.

Carrot Cupcakes Recipe (Makes 24)

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
  
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans

For cream cheese icing:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line muffin cups with cupcake liners - you will need about 24.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, brown sugar, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared muffin pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool in pans completely.
   
4. To make frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cupcakes.