Carrot Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

• 1.13 cups white sugar
• 0.33 cups brown sugar
• 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
• 0.5 cups vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 0.5 cups crushed pineapple
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.25 teaspoons baking soda
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 0.5 teaspoons salt
• 0.5 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 0.25 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 cup chopped walnuts , divided

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. 2

   To make the carrot cupcakes: Beat white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs together in a bowl; mix in oil and vanilla. Fold in carrots and pineapple.

3. 3

   Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger in a separate bowl; add to carrot mixture until evenly moist. Fold in 1/2 of the chopped walnuts. Spoon batter into the prepared liners, filling each 3/4 full.

4. 4

   Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes completely on wire racks.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, make the frosting: Melt white chocolate in small saucepan over low heat; stir until smooth and allow to cool to room temperature.

6. 6

   Beat cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Mix in cooled white chocolate, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and orange extract. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until mixture is fluffy; mix in heavy cream. Top each cooled cupcake with frosting and sprinkling with remaining walnuts.