‘Tis the season for all things pumpkin, so I doubled down with these sweet treats of pumpkin-y goodness.
For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Grease a 12-muffin tin or use paper liners.
Combine in a mixing bowl:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
In a separate bowl, combine:
- 3/4 c. canned pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not pie filling)
- 3/4 c. milk
- 1/3 c. melted butter (or vegetable oil)
- 3/4 c. brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 c. chopped candied ginger and/or chocolate chips and/or cinnamon chips
Fold wet and dry ingredients together until just mixed. Spoon into muffin tin.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from tin and cool.
For the frosting:
With a hand or stand mixer, beat together:
- 6 oz. cream cheese (or Neufchatel “light” cream cheese), softened
- 1/2 stick (4 TBS) butter, softened
Add:
- 1/4 c. canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Blend again and add:
- 3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar (depending on your desire for sweetness and the stiffness of the frosting you want
When the cupcakes are fully cool, frost and serve to your little monsters.
