Dark Chocolate Carrot Cupcakes

I came up with this recipe after finding shredded carrots on clearance for only 25 cents a bag.  Freezing carrots from the produce section of the grocery store when they are on clearance is a good way to save money.  Not only do they work well in stir fry and other recipes, I can throw them into a food processor and sneak them into some tasty cupcakes...

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Icing

Cupcake Ingredients:
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder (or regular if you don't have dark chocolate...)
1 teaspoon sea salt (or whatever salt you prefer)
1 teaspoon garam masala (Indian spice blend)
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cupcake pan with paper or foil liners.  Mix dry ingredients together and add the wet ingredients.  Fill cupcake liners 1/2 to 2/3 full and bake approximately 17 minutes.  Baking time may vary with oven and altitude.  Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Allow cupcakes to cool before icing.

Icing Ingredients:
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 medium container of whipped cream cheese
approximately 3 cups of powdered sugar (add as much as needed for desired stiffness)
1/2 to 1 whole vanilla bean (you will only use the inside seeds from the vanilla bean--if you don't have a vanilla bean, you may substitute a teaspon of vanilla extract)

Directions:
Beat cream and sugar until peaks form.  Scrape the insides of the vanilla bean with a knife (insides will resemble very fine coffee grounds) and put into the mixture.  Add remaining ingredients one at a time, beat each one into the icing.  Add as much powdered sugar as needed for desired stiffness needed for your chosen decorating technique.  Fill a parchment triangle or pastry bag with icing and pipe icing onto each cupcake in a spiral beginning at the center. 

Garnish:
Use a vegetable peeler to create small shavings or curls of chocolate, such as a dark chocolate candy bar and sprinkle over each cupcake.

Tip:
Don't just throw away the vanilla bean after you have scraped out the insides.  Place it into a smaller container of sugar to gradually flavor the sugar.