Carrot and Coconut Cupcakes

Carrot and Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups caster (white)sugar
1 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil may be used)
3 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups finely shredded carrot
1 ¼ cups sweetened desiccated coconut

FROSTING
1 package cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan or muffin tin (or use paper muffin cup liners, I had run out).

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar, add melted butter (or oil), eggs, carrot, coconut, and vanilla. Mix with wooden spoon until well blended.

Stir in carrots, coconut,

Pour into 9x13 inch pan and bake for about 45 minutes. Or scoop into muffin tins filling 3/4Th's full.

Allow to cool; when cool, ice the cake.

To make the frosting: Cream the butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the icing sugar a little at a time and beat until creamy.



Cooks notes: I haven’t actually eaten carrot cake of any sort since I had H. It may have had something to do with my weekly treat while pregnant was a Starbucks frappichino, with a pastrami panini and a slice of carrot passion cake (or whatever it was called) ... it was the one thing I lived for while pregnant.. and it didn't matter what I ate as due the the Hyperemisis nothing stayed down for very long anyway. M says this is one of the best carrot cakes he has had, which I'm quite pleased with, it may have something to do with the amount of sugar, and the sweetened desiccated coconut (its softer than plain dessicated coconut). I made the recipe with butter because I have never been a big fan of oily cakes but for the dairy intolerant you can easily substitute oil for the butter used, and it can be served with a water based icing or plain.