Your Choose...Muffins or Cupcakes...Gluten-free Carrot Zucchini Pumpkin Raisin

I have a problem recently.  I literally just looked the pictures on my camera...of food of course...and could not remember what exactly I had made.  I could tell there was cream cheese frosting, I always remember cream cheese frosting, and there was salted caramel drizzle too.  I just couldn't remember what exactly was underneath.  So I had to go back and play a little Nancy Drew on myself.  Thank goodness for my mild obsession with Instagraming everything I bake, so I could read the caption of what was exactly in these cupcakes.  I do remember they were delicious though and that you could not tell they were gluten-free at all.  I remember I made them for a co-worker's birthday, even though she wanted just muffins, I couldn't resist making some of them cupcakes.  These cupcakes just come out so moist with great texture from the carrots, zucchini and raisins.  And do I even dare say they are not too terribly unhealthy as pumpkin is used instead of oil? Also, you could definitely add some pecans for a little crunch if you are into that sort of thing.  

In the future though, I need to remember this moment, and start getting my blogging done a little bit sooner than two months later...oops.  Enjoy!

"muffins" fresh out of the oven

From the top and...

from the side...basically delicious...and actually not terrible for you.

Gluten-free Carrot Zucchini Pumpkin Raisin Muffins/Cupcakes:

*makes approximately 1 dozen cupcakes

1-1/2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup grated carrot

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 tablespoons canned pumpkin

1 cup Pamela's Ulitmate Baking and Pancake Mix

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup raisins

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners.

2.  In a small bowl combine Pamela's Ultimate, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

3.  In a large bowl combine the grated zucchini, carrot, egg and pumpkin.

4.  Gently whisk the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. Lastly, fold in the raisins. Divide the batter among the muffin tins and bake for 15-18 minutes. If serving them as muffins, let cool slightly before serving.  If serving as cupcakes, let them completely cool and prepare cream cheese frosting while they are cooling.  

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

1.  Using a mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth and well combined.

2.  Mix in vanilla.

3.  On a lower speed, mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time.  If frosting begins to appear dry, taste.  It is okay to not use full amount of powdered sugar.  Once the cupcakes have cooled completely top with the frosting.  The almost brunt salted caramel drizzle recipe can be found here.