Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

You've got to try these! I decided I needed a "fall" themed cupcake and found this awesome Pumpkin Cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart. Because they were a "test batch" of sorts, I quartered the recipe and made these in my miniature cupcake pan, perfect for a bite size treat. I'm definitely going to whip these up again for Halloween. The remaining minis in my refrigerator are definitely going to work with the hubby tomorrow.The month of October is packed with enough sugar on it's own!


Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes about 18 regular cupcakes, and approximately 4 dozen minis

2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat pan with non-stick spray or line with paper liners.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together both sugars, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.

Fill cups about halfway with batter. Bake 20-25 minutes (about 12-15 for miniatures) until tops spring back when touched. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz. tub cream cheese      
1/2 c (or 1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar

Whip cream cheese and butter until combined and creamy. Add in vanilla and powdered sugar and whip on low speed for 1 minute and on medium-high speed for an addition 3-4 minutes until creamy.

To Decorate:

Tint frosting desired color, I used yellow and red drops to create and orange tint. Pipe onto cupcakes with a frosting bag or a sturdy Ziploc bag with the corner cut off and top each cupcake with a candy corn, or three...:) .