Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

I really enjoy cooking and there are several reasons.  One, I love looking at all the different possibilties for food.  Two, I love the process of baking.  Three, I really enjoy feeding people good food.  And finally, I love to eat food.  And if I am going to eat it, it might as well taste and look really good.

Yesterday, I needed to make a snack for a class I am part of.  Fall is such a fun season with the beautiful colors, crisp weather, and wonderful smells.  For me, nothing says fall like pumpkin and cinnamon.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Slightly adapted from Taste of Home.
Yield: Well, this recipe originally made 24 regular sized cupcakes. But the recipe above is the halved version and I got 36 mini cupcakes and 6 big cupcakes. And the frosting frosted all the mini ones

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 15 min. + cooling

1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons applesauce
1-1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
7 oz. pumpkin puree
1 cup + 3 tablespoons flour
1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup buttermilk

2 oz cream cheese
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

 

In a large bowl, cream butter, applesauce and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin. Combine the flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

 

Fill paper-lined mini muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

 

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers.

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