Aunt linda brings these to every egg hunt and somehow the tray is empty before the first round is over.

If your family likes a little extra indulgence, you can add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter along with the carrots for some crunch. A handful (1/3 cup) of raisins or golden raisins stirred into the batter will give you that old-fashioned church-basement flavor. For more spice, increase the cinnamon to 1 1/2 teaspoons and add a pinch of ground ginger or cloves. If you’d like a simple topping without fuss, dust the cooled cupcakes with powdered sugar, or drizzle them with a quick glaze made from 1 cup powdered sugar and 2–3 tablespoons milk or cream. To make them a touch lighter, you can swap half the oil for unsweetened applesauce; the cupcakes will be a bit softer and slightly less rich, but still moist. These also freeze well: cool completely, wrap individually, and freeze up to 2 months—just thaw on the counter before your next egg hunt so they’re ready to disappear again.