Carrot & Pear Cupcakes for a Birthday Brunch

 Tomorrow my JiT will be 40. Whoa.

This one was worth celebrating. So we did. We still ARE technically. We’ll be heading on a little vacation later this week, but since thats just the two of us, it seemed like a more public celebration was in order beforehand. So I threw a little surprise brunch on Sunday.

He was surprised and it was good fun. We had about a dozen friends pop over and a half-dozen tots a-toddling. Since he was home all weekend, the prep work posed a bit of a challenge. I managed to dream up a ruse about a Monday playdate to explain my sudden desire to clean and put flowers on the table. But the food…the food was the head scratcher.

I ended up throwing together a breakfast strata on Friday morning. Since stratas actually benefit from sitting around for a bit, tt hung out in the fridge all weekend (again, for the alleged Monday playdate) until I baked it Sunday morning. I would have done a post about that but it was gone by the time the party was over.

The part that had me more concerned was the celebratory sweet. What could I make on Friday morning, keep hidden away in our cellar and still expect yumminess on Sunday? And what would be brunch appropriate and JiT approved? He’s a carrot cake fan and everyone loves a good cream cheese frosting, so that seemed like a good choice. Happily, these stayed perfectly, deliciously moist tucked away in my cupcake carrier in our cool cellar. They were still moist and delicious at party time. The secret, I think, is the pear (or apple if you please). The extra boost of fruit adds moisture and heartiness. Technically, these could pass as a muffin, but the frosting sets them firmly in the festive cake category, if you ask me.

In addition to the nibbles, I set up a bloody mary and mimosa bar that was very popular with the grownups in the crowd. By the time all of our guests left, my crew was ready for a nap. I never got any pics during the party, but was thoroughly amused by this pic of the aftermath. PJs, diaper, lucky charms and March Madness make for quite a tableau.

Happy Birthday to my charming, sweet, looks-and-acts-way-WAY-younger than his age Hub! Here’s to at least 40 more!

Carrot and Pear Cupcakes
Makes 18 cupcakes

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