'Tis the Season

I'm sad that summer is over, but happy that fall has arrived. I love fall flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; it reminds me of the holidays. Also, fall means pumpkin season! I love when stores start selling pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin beer, and etc. I'm also excited to bake with pumpkin! So, to start off the season, I made pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for my Love's birthday.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

adapted from joyofbaking.com

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 C flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 C butter at room temp
• 1 C. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 C. pumpkin puree
• Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

For the Frosting

• 4 oz. cream cheese at room temp
• 2 T. butter at room temp
• 1 1/2 C. confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine and whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat in the eggs one at a time.

Alternately add the pumpkin puree and the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 additions on low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl.

Using 1/4 measuring cup, scoop the batter into a lined muffin pan. You should be able to fill all 12 cups. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until combined, add the vanilla and the confectioner's sugar. Frost the cupcakes and top them with chopped nuts when they are completely cooled.

Enjoy and happy baking!