Carrot cupcakes with cream cheese buttercream

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with 12 liners.

Shred the carrots on the large holes of a box grater, then chop the shreds so they distribute evenly and give more surface area, to a cup and a half.

Roughly chop half a cup of pecans.

Combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, allspice and ground clove.

With the whisk attachment, combine the oil and both sugars with the eggs, starting on medium low until the eggs break up.

Increase to medium and medium high and whip until light, pale, thick and ribbony.

Switch to the paddle, add the carrots on low speed, then the vanilla extract, then the dry ingredients slowly.

Take the bowl off the mixer, add the pecans and fold by hand, scraping the bottom and sides for unincorporated flour or egg.

Portion one scoop per liner, filling no more than two thirds.

Bake about 15 to 19 minutes, until the tops are domed, golden and springy and a cake tester comes out clean; carrot cake is easy to under bake.

Cool the cupcakes completely.

Press the cream cheese at room temperature for a couple of hours to lose two to three ounces of water, which raises the fat content so it behaves like butter.

Paddle the pressed cream cheese smooth, then add the butter a little at a time to form a smooth emulsion, scraping down, until all of it is in and the mixture is smooth and combined. Do not whip it.

Scrape the cream cheese and butter mixture into a separate bowl and wash the mixer bowl thoroughly to remove all fat residue, which would inhibit the egg whites.

In the clean bowl combine the egg whites, sugar, kosher salt and cream of tartar.

Set the bowl over a saucepan holding about an inch of barely simmering water and stir constantly, about five minutes, until no sugar granules show on the sides and a dab rubbed between the fingertips has no grit. To pasteurize, take it to 160F.

Whip with the whisk attachment, starting medium then medium high then high, to a dense glossy meringue with firm peaks that stand straight up, with the bowl cool to the touch.

With the mixer on medium high, add the cream cheese and butter mixture a tablespoon at a time.

After about half is in, switch to the paddle, scrape the bowl, add the rest and mix on medium high until smooth, fluffy and silky.

Beat in the vanilla paste, scraping the bowl first for even mixing.

Portion the frosting with a scoop and swirl it over each cooled cupcake with a small offset spatula, smoothing it to a dome with a swirl on top; or pipe it with a star tip.