Pumpkin Cupcakes

Happy belated Thanksgiving!

My first Thanksgiving out of the country was really nice.  I felt a little twinge of homesickness on Thursday morning, but skyping with my friend Gina quickly cured me.  Thanks, Gina, for lifting my spirits.  Then, I was lucky enough to go to three dinners over two days and enjoyed visiting and eating with lots of lovely people.  And, I'm really happy to have a few leftovers in the fridge to look forward to.  Leftovers are, in my opinion, better than the actual meal.  

There are always lots of pumpkin recipes floating around this time of year.  Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of most things pumpkin.  I want to like pumpkin because it's festive and I like the idea of it, but, I mostly like pumpkin pie for the whipped cream and sometimes pumpkin cookies and other baked goods are too spongy for my liking.

This is the one pumpkin baked good that I've made over and over.  They have a nice texture and the cream cheese frosting is my fave that I've ever made.  There are substitutions you can make as well to keep the recipe a little more healthy.  Also, you could leave the frosting off and call these muffins.  But, really, why would you do that?

PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

Cupcakes:

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cup sugar (can be reduced to 1 cup)
• 1 cup oil (substitution: 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 apple sauce)
• 1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin
• 2 cups flour (substitution: 1 cup flour and 1 cup almond meal)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon (be generous)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Frosting:

• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Beat together eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until well mixed. 

In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg.  

Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly.  

Transfer mixture to lined mini muffin pans.  

Bake for 15 minutes or until they bounce back when you press lightly in the middle.  

Cream together cream cheese and butter. 

Add vanilla.  

Add powdered sugar, a little at a time, and beat well until frosting is smooth and a little fluffy.  

Frost cupcakes with a generous portion of frosting on each.  

Source:  modified slightly from Portland's Palate cookbook