Carrot Cupcakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm a sucker for cream cheese frosting and lately for anything coconut too. So why not marry the two? Exactly. Why not? These cupcakes were deemed delicious even by some individuals who claimed to not like coconut or carrot cake. So there. They made an appearance at my eldest's first birthday party and now also at the first birthday parties of a few friends around us. I mean, they have carrots, raisins and pineapple in them so they are practically a healthy food. WARNING: you might want to make a double batch as this recipes only makes 12 cupcakes and, honestly, who eats just one cupcake? 

Carrot Cupcakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting
(From Cooking Light Magazine)

Cupcakes:

2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup finely shredded carrot
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, well-drained
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins

Frosting:

1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, chilled
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, softened
1/8 teaspoon imitation coconut flavor (optional)
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cupcakes, beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add carrot and pineapple; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through nutmeg) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat well. Stir in raisins.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, and coconut flavor at medium speed of a mixer just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar (do not overbeat). Spread frosting over cupcakes; sprinkle with flaked coconut. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Makes 12 cupcakes