Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

This is my Pumpkin Spice Cake recipe, adapted for cupcakes. The only difference is the pan used. If you want cake, just use cake pans. Simple.

The players:

For the cake:
2 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ tsp cinnamon1
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ¾ cups dark brown sugar
4 eggs1 cup oil
1 ½ cups pumpkin puree

Heat oven to 350. Prepare muffin pan by lining with paper cups or greasing well. I like paper cups - they make for easier clean-up.

Combine flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, and salt in a sifter. Sift and set aside.

Whisk the eggs.

Mix in the pumpkin. I used pumpkin puree I made here at Casa de Crazy - dig that lovely color!

Next, mix in the brown sugar and oil.

Add dry ingredients in batches, thoroughly incorporating each batch before adding more.

Pour batter into muffin papers.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean. Cool thoroughly before frosting. Makes approximately 2 dozen cupcakes.


For the vanilla-spice buttercream icing
2 sticks (1 cup) butter. Yes, butter. It’s not called “margarinecream icing”, is it?
2 boxes 10x confectioners sugar
Cinnamon (I prefer organic Saigon, myself)
Vanilla extract. Don’t cheap out on imitation, use the real thing!
Powdered ginger
Cream

Allow the butter to thoroughly soften. Whip it with the whisk attachment of your mixer, or beat it by hand in a bowl, until it's light and fluffy.

Pour a liberal measure of vanilla in. How much? Umm...some. You can add more later if it's not strong enough, so err on the side of caution.

Add cinnamon. As much or as little as you want. Again, you can always add more.
Then comes ginger. See the above for measurements...now whisk it, whisk it good...

Dump an entire box of sugar over it. Stir/whisk until thoroughly mixed. Add up to another half box of sugar. You want a think, almost fondant consistency.

Finally, pour in a little cream at a time, mixing between additions, until you have the desired consistency. It should be light, fluffy, and smooth. If you add too much cream and it gets soupy, just mix in a bit more sugar.


Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost to your heart's content - you should have more than enough icing for two dozen cupcakes, a sheet cake, a layer cake, or the Chrysler Building.

Any leftover frosting can be stored in the ‘fridge – soften it later and serve with graham crackers or pretzels for dipping. Yeah, the kids’ll be wired, but you can give 'em to the grandparents after.