Carrot Cupcakes with Blood Orange Glaze

Delicious Cupcakes fit for any occassion. In this instance, it was for my son's favorite stuffed lamb. For these whole wheat treats I reduced the sugar and added some maple syrup for sweetness. I’ve cut down the oil with applesauce and made a blood orange glaze instead of thick, rich frosting! And the Blood Orange makes a beautiful pink glaze, no food coloring required. These are a go to treat for kids birthdays and now for stuffed animals alike! Makes

12 cupcakes

2 cups shredded carrots

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

3 large eggs

1/3 cup loosely packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For glaze

3/4 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

2-3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line muffin cups with paper liners.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl.

Whisk together oil, apple sauce, eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, shredded carrots, and vanilla in a large bowl, then stir in flour mixture until just combined.

Divide batter among lined muffin cups and bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted into center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on rack, about 1 hour more.

Make icing:

Add confectioners sugar into a bowl. Whisk in zest and 2 tablespoons juice until smooth. If icing is too thick, add more juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. If it gets too thin add a sprinkle more of powdered sugar. I prefer this icing a little on the runny side. Top with sliced fresh strawberries if desired!