coconut carrot cake cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a standard muffin tin with 12 liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: vegetable oil, eggs, brown sugar, sour cream and vanilla extract. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
4. Fold in the shredded carrots and coconut flakes and mix until evenly distributed.
5. Fill each cupcake liner ¾ full of batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
6. Remove cupcakes from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before removing from the tin to cool completely.

cream cheese frosting

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix until fully incorporated.
3. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and continue beating until smooth. Continue adding powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency and sweetness.
4. Use a knife to spread frosting onto the cupcakes or use a piping bag to decorate. For more detailed instructions on how we decorated our cupcakes, check out the post sections: Making Flat Top Frosted Cupcakes and Decorating the Carrot Cupcakes.