Gluten-Free Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

November 3 — eleventh anniversary. I drove Amber, Justin, and Gayle to Kearney Friday morning. The same trip. We brought cake and coffee again. We stood at the stone. Gayle sat in her chair. I spoke first this year. "Darla. It's been eleven. Your boy scored 197 yards last Friday. Your daughter is a junior in college studying social work. Your mother is in my house. Dave is still Dave. I miss you." Amber spoke. "Mom. I love you." Justin did not speak this year. He put his hand on the stone. That was his sentence.

We ate cake by the stone. Coffee in paper cups. Drove home.

Justin scored his first TD on Saturday's regional final — GISH won 21-14. They are going to state. First state run for GISH football in seven years. Grand Island is electric. The paper is running stories daily.

Drove a short Lincoln run Tuesday.

Book two at 81,000. I am close to the finish line now. Maybe four months out.

Gayle was shaken after the cemetery. Took her two days to recover. She said, "I miss your sister, Brenda." I said, "I know, Ma." She said, "Every day." I said, "I know." She held my hand on her lap. We sat in silence.

We always bring cake. It started the first year and it became the thing we do — paper cups of coffee, cake by the stone, all four of us standing in the cold together. This year I made these carrot cupcakes because they travel well and they feel like something, not just something sweet. Cream cheese frosting, a little warmth from cinnamon and nutmeg — the kind of cake that holds its own on a November morning in a cemetery in Kearney. Darla would have eaten two.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 22 minutes | Total Time: 42 minutes | Servings: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (with xanthan gum)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until evenly combined.
Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add the oil, applesauce, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix. Fold in the grated carrots until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Fill and bake. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 20–22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops spring back lightly when touched.
Cool completely. Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting — at least 30 minutes.
Make the frosting. Beat softened cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce to low, add the powdered sugar in two additions, then add the vanilla and pinch of salt. Increase to medium-high and beat until light and creamy, about 1 minute more.
Frost and serve. Spread or pipe frosting generously onto each cooled cupcake. Cupcakes can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Gluten-Free Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting — The Cake We Bring to the Stone