Week 43 :: Pumpkin Cupcakes

Less than 10 weeks left and I have so much that I still want to do this year!  I suppose this may turn into 52WoS-and-then-some.

I made this cupcake for a sweet friend's birthday. Happy Birthday, Sara! I iced the pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting and a gumpaste rose.  It was more than a fair trade since her husband made her a delicious dark chocolate cake for her birthday and I got to eat that all weekend while house-sitting.  

These pumpkin cupcakes are by far one of my favorites! I love pumpkin, and this is the first of several fall pumpkin recipes.  These cupcakes are rich and full of pumpkin flavor.  If you want, you can easily add a cup of walnuts or pecans to the batter.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Prep time :: 10 minutes

Bake time :: 25 minutes
Yields :: 24-26 cupcakes

::Ingredients::

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 can mashed pumpkin or 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 cup milk
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (if you don't have this on hand, you can use a mixture of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg)

::Directions::

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream together butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs. 
3. Add milk and flour alternating and mix well.  Add pumpkin puree.  Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
4. Pour into prepared muffin cups 1/2 to 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. 
   
   

   

   
   I made a batch of these for a Vanderbilt party and decorated with a fondant embellishment.  Here is a close-up:
   
   

   

   
   Happy baking!