Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• Carrot Cake Cupcakes
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried dates, finely chopped into a paste (think the consistency of a Clif Bar)
• 3 bananas, very ripe
• 3 medium carrots, grated
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 stick butter (add 1/2 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter)
• 2 eggs
• Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
• 1 package cream cheese
• 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake tray with paper liners.
2. Sautee bananas with about half the butter, the brown sugar, and the vanilla until bananas are very soft and sugar is completely melted (this step is especially important if you're using frozen or less-ripe bananas)
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together first three ingredients (and salt, if using).
4. Mix the dates the rest of the melted butter, using a fork to combine and break up the dates.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together carrots and banana mixture.
6. Mix in the date-butter mixture, yogurt, and eggs. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Fold in walnuts.
7. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 of the way with batter. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick (or dry piece of spaghetti) inserted comes out clean and dry.
8. Beat cream cheese with maple syrup until light and fluffy. Set aside.
9. In chilled metal bowl, beat very cold whipping cream until it holds stiff peaks, adding sugar and vanilla near the end of the process. Fold cream cheese into whipped cream.
10. Top fully cooled cupcakes, and enjoy!

carrot, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, cinnamon, walnuts, dates, bananas, carrots, greek yogurt, vanilla, dark brown sugar, butter, eggs, maple cream cheese, cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, maple syrup, white sugar, vanilla

Taken from food52.com/recipes/9863-carrot-cake-cupcakes-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting (may not work)