Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

Makes one cake or 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Batter:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup sugar

1-1/4 cups canola oil

4 large eggs

3 cups grated, peeled carrots

Icing:

10 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. If making a cake: butter two 9-inch diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour. **If making cupcakes: line tins with paper cupcake holder and pour batter directly into them.

3. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl to blend.

4. Whisk sugar and oil in a large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time.

5. Add flour mixture and stir just until blended.

6. Stir in carrots. Pour batter into cake or cupcake pan(s).

7. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean; for cake, check at 40 minutes; for cupcakes, check at 30 minutes.

8. Cool in pans for 15 minutes. Once cool to the touch, you can top with icing.

For Icing:

1. Beat cream cheese and maple syrup together, until smooth and creamy.

2. Spoon into a zip-lock bag and push the mixture all the way down to one corner and twist the top of the bag closed.

3. Snip off the tip with a pair of scissors. Squeeze out the icing onto the cake/cupcakes in a swirl.