carrot cupcakes.

Often times I like reasons to bake. I don't think I need a reason, but I feel better about baking something relatively unhealthy if there's a justifiable reason for eating it. Get it? So, when I learned that my sister would be coming home for a whirlwind trip I knew I needed to bake something. And it needed to be good. I'm a really, really big lover of Deb over at Smitten Kitchen. Like, really big. And when I saw these cupcakes I knew I needed to bake them. I cut the recipe in half because there's just no reason to have 24 cupcakes lying around taunting you.

12 is a much more manageable number.

Much more adult and grown up. And you know what else is grown up? Reducing the amount of sugar in the recipe, which is exactly what I did. Really, though. These taste totally fine by reducing the amount of sugar by 1/4 cup (in the actual cupcake, not the frosting).

And, you know what else? These are delicious without any frosting at all. And since they're made with canola oil we mine as well be calling them health food, right? Right.

However, if you are going to frost these cupcakes (and I highly recommend you do. Just set a few naked ones aside for breakfast.) I suggest adding more maple syrup if you really want to taste it. If you just want a little hint, then follow this recipe to a tee. But, if you're like me, and you were looking for a little more maple syrup kick, I'd go ahead and add a few more glugs.

Enjoy these fresh out of the oven or the day after, or the day after that, or even the day after that. Really. These taste delicious days after being made.