Carrot Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

• 1.125 cups white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 0.5 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 0.5 cup crushed pineapple
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.25 teaspoons baking soda
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 0.25 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 ounces white chocolate
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 0.5 teaspoon orange extract
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
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. 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. Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes completely on wire racks.
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. 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.