Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

It's pumpkin season! Now, I could've made pumpkin things all year long since I stocked up on pumpkin last year. After stores began running out of pumpkin, once I found some I kept it at home just in case. I'm glad I did, because now I have plenty and can make all the pumpkin goodies I want. I also want to roast my own pumpkin....we'll see if that happens.

I had planned on making these a few days ago for Dan's sister's birthday, but we ended up going out for her birthday. I now have an abundance of cupcakes in my kitchen....

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
from Taste of Home

 For the cupcakes:
3/4 cup butter, softened 
2-1/2 cups sugar  
3 eggs 
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin 
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
3/4 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 
1 cup buttermilk 

For the frosting: 
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup butter, softened 
4 cups confectioners' sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin. Combine the flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.  
3. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. 
4. For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 2 dozen.

This is how I like them, without those god awful Brachs pumpkin candies. Those are completely gross. But they're cute decorations, therefore I used them.
 

 

All decorated.

Some of the reviews of the original recipe claimed they thought they were too sweet. You could cut the sugar down to 2 cups instead of 2 and half. Also, some people added a 1/2 cup of apple sauce to keep them moist, but mine were super moist as is.