Guest Blogger

Today's Guest blogger is Emily from  www.lovewhatyoueatsf.com
Check out her website - there are some impressive recipes. I have chosen this one:
CARROT CUPCAKES WITH ORANGE ICING

These cupcakes are fresh, delicious, and the perfect treat for any birthday or bake sale!

For cupcakes:

• 4 medium carrots
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For icing:

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Supplies:

• muffin tins
• muffin liners
• grater
• confectioner's sugar sifter (or fine sieve)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Line muffin cups with paper liners. Coarsely grate enough carrots to measure 2 cups using large teardrop holes of a box grater. whisk together flour, baking powder, backing soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl.

Whisk together oil, eggs, brown sugar, grated carrots, and vanilla in the large bowl, then stir in flour mixture until just combined.

Divide batter among muffin cups and bake until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted into center of a cupcake comes out clean (about 20-25 minutes). Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on rack (about 1 hour more).

Sift confectioners sugar into a bowl. Whisk in zest and 2 tablespoons juice until smooth. If icing is too thick, add more juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. Dip top of each cupcake into icing, letting excess drip off. Put a carrot curl on top of each and let icing set (about 15 minutes).

Makes 12 cupcakes

(Recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine December 2007)