By MANALE ZOUHIR and EMMA CEPLINSKAS
Recipe courtesy of http://allrecipes.com/
Pumpkin Spice Batter:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
A sure way to embrace fall is baking a batch of pumpkin spice cupcakes. Gather friends and family to share this autumn-themed recipe that is sure to leave you craving more. This makes a batch of 22-24 cupcakes depending on the amount of batter added to the pan.
1. To start off, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a cupcake tray with butter or line the tray with paper cups for an easier method.
2. Sift together all of the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Note: if you prefer a less strong spice taste, add ¼ teaspoon of each spice and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Set this aside.
3. In an electric mixer, beat together the ½ cup of butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time, letting them blend in. Next add the milk and pumpkin puree. If the mixture seems too thick, add ⅓ cup more of milk. Finally ,stir in the dry ingredients and mix until batter is smooth and creamy.
4. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling it about ¾ of the way.
5. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. As a handy trick to know if the cupcakes are ready to take out of the oven, stick a toothpick into a cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean without any trace of the batter on it, remove the trays from the oven. Leave them to cool for a minimum of 10 minutes in the pan. Remove them from the pan and allow them to cool about 15 more minutes on a wire rack or tray.
6. To make the frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter in the electric mixer until it is a smooth consistency. Add the confectioners sugar a little at a time; mixing everything in completely until adding more. Then beat in vanilla extract and ground cinnamon until light and fluffy. For a stronger cinnamon taste, beat in about ½ teaspoon more cinnamon.
7. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them generously with the cream cheese frosting and they are ready to serve.
