Carrot Patch Cupcakes

Ingredients

• Cupcakes
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup Land O Lakes® Butter softened
• 2 large Land O Lakes® Eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Frosting
• 3/4 cup Land O Lakes® Butter softened
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup Land O Lakes® Half & Half
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
• Green food color
• Orange food color

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 375°F. Place paper baking cups into muffin pan cups or grease cups; set aside.

2. 2

   Stir cocoa into boiling water in bowl; mix well. Let stand until slightly cooled.

3. 3

   Combine flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl; set aside.

4. 4

   Place granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter into bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. Add cocoa mixture; beat until well mixed.

5. 5

   Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely.

6. 6

   Beat 3/4 cup butter in bowl at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt, alternately with half & half and vanilla, beating at low speed and scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

7. 7

   Divide frosting in half; place into separate bowls. Stir melted chocolate into half of frosting. Remove 3 tablespoons white frosting to another bowl; tint with green food color. Tint remaining white frosting orange. Place orange frosting into piping bag with large round tip. Place green frosting into resealable plastic food bag; snip small corner from bag.

8. 8

   Cut cone-shape core from center of cupcakes, using paring knife. Crumble centers; set aside. Fill centers with orange frosting, creating rounded tops. Frost around carrot top using chocolate frosting; sprinkle chocolate frosting with crumbled cake centers. Pipe short threads of green frosting to resemble carrot top.