Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

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.