Easter Hoppin'

Easter is always one of my favorite holidays...Between the Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs and Jellybeans those two things come close to crowing Easter on their own! 

This Easter Sunday happened to be a beautiful, wonderful, warm and blue bird day. The crocus flowers enjoyed themselves...

Dyeing Easter eggs...Even at age 19 I still make my mom wait for me to join in on the fun!

Easter seems to play the sweet music of spring time finally showing its wonderful change of weather...be it sunny and warm or raining/snowing in the next ten minutes! It's Utah.

This year gave me the chance to try out cute new baking cups (new favs) and a new yummy recipe. These cupcakes turned out deliciously moist and full of flavor with the perfect touch of smooth Cream Cheese Frosting. Also a healthier alternative to the normal cupcake, seeing this one has carrots in it. Go ahead, treat yourself to two for your veggie intake of the day! This recipe comes from Smithfield.com

The Best Ever Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 4 eggs

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup apple sauce

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 8-oz. can of crushed pineapple, well drained

• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• Small pinch of ground cloves

• 3 cups grated carrots, grate on larger side of cheese grater

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• For Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps:
In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pile the frosting high on the cooled cupcakes and garnish with the toasted coconut if desired.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce, sugars, pineapple and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and small pinch of ground cloves. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into muffin tin lined with beautiful paper or foil liners. Fill each liner 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 min. Let cupcakes cool completely. While cooling, prepare frosting.
Frosting: 
In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

I decorated the cupcakes with a large round tip and topped it off with chocolate shavings to represent a nest with two cadburry eggs in the middle.

They were a success! I would give this recipe a 10 out of 10 and encourage you all to try this delicious somewhat healthy cupcake! 

At the end of yesterday's beautiful Easter Sunday full of laughter, yummy food, gorgeous spring weather, and family I find myself grateful and feeling more blessed than ever! Here is a selfi-Sunday pic....Couldn't resist!