Carrot Cake Cupkates - trial recipe

So, I am looking for a really great Carrot Cake recipe to use for Kate's wedding cupcakes and I've decide to try to modify the Duncan Hines Hummingbird cake recipe.

If this turns out, I'll take a crappy food photo and post it...


1 pkg Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Classic Carrot Cake Mix (is there such a thing?)
1 (3.4 oz) pkg vanilla instant pudding and pie filling (or the pumpkin spice pudding would be nice)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple
reserved pineapple juice plus water equal to 1 cup
4 large eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup golden raisins - soaked in hot water or rum ;)
2 c shredded carrots
confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Prepare cupcake pans - 24 cupcakes.

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, pineapple, 1 cup juice and water mixture, eggs and cinnamon in large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until moistened. Beat a medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in pecans, carrots, and raisins. Divide into 24 cupcake liners.

Bake at 350°F 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 25 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.