Sweet, but not too sweet. “Vegetable” that’s tasty. Muffin, not cupcake. This recipe is original take on an all time favorite. The inside-out-treat is heaven on earth with frosting baked inside.

The muffin itself is soft, fluffy and moist inside. The peaks of frosting on top are just waiting to be licked.

Inside-Out Carrot Cake Muffins (makes 18)

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup carrot puree
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to blend: flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In another large mixing bowl, whisk until fully incorporated: sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and carrot puree.
4. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined.
5. In another medium-size bowl, make the Cream Cheese Filling: whisk together all ingredients until smooth.
6. Spoon some carrot batter into each muffin cup to about ¼ full, followed by about one heaping teaspoon of filling directly into the center. Place dollops of remaining carrot batter on top of the cream cheese mixture to fill ¾ of each cup.
7. Bake for 18 minutes until edges start to brown and the muffins are firm to the touch (If some filling oozes from the top, rest assured your muffins will be perfect!).
8. Remove muffin pans from the oven and cool in pans for 5 minutes.
9. While muffins continue to cool, fill a ziplock bag (with the corner snipped) with the remaining cream cheese filling and pipe into the hole where the filling broke through the top of the muffin. (With the remaining frosting, fill the small hollow cavity inside of each muffin.).
10. Serve warm or at room temperature.