Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

This weekend was SO MUCH FUN! A big group of my friends went camping Friday night and we had a blast. We had traditional campfire food (hotdogs, smores, etc.) but I decided to bring these along as well and they were a big hit. We enjoyed them for dinner, breakfast, and as snacks I had so much fun decorating these with the festive sprinkles and things I found at Target. I’m really looking forward to Halloween now!

This is a great recipe and the frosting is incredible! Combining white chocolate and cream cheese in frosting form is a genius idea. The original recipe calls for mixing in nuts and raisins, but I wanted a pure pumpkin cupcake. I also like them to have big puffy tops so I tend to fill the cups more than the recipe recommends, so I ended up getting 20 cupcakes out of one batch and not the 36 they say the yield should be.

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 can (15 oz.) solid-packed pumpkin (about 1 ¾ cups)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs

For the frosting:
14 oz. pure white chocolate, finely chopped
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

food coloring and other decorations (optional)

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with decorative cupcake papers.

To make the cupcakes, in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition.

Add the flour mixture in three additions, stirring with a large wooden spoon until just combined.

Fill the muffin tins about three-fourths full. Bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the tins to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the tins and let cool completely.

To make the frosting, in a double boiler, melt the white chocolate, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Let stand until just warm to the touch. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth and blended. Add the melted chocolate and beat again until smooth. Use the frosting immediately, coloring it as desired. Spread 1 to 2 Tbs. frosting over each cupcake and decorate with colored sugars and decorating pens. Makes 20 cupcakes.

Source: Williams Sonoma