Week Four: Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Welcome to Week Four with Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes!

These cupcakes were also found in the Big Book of Cupcakes recipe book.

These cupcakes were kind of dry, there were pockets of pumpkin spice, which I found unusual. But besides that they were good, the candied nuts on top were delicious along with the icing which was just a plain vanilla buttercream.

Some tips:

For this recipe, do not use waxed liners, and if you do, fill the cupcake liner to almost full. This recipe doesn't have any baking soda which makes the cake rise just a bit, so these are dense, supposedly flat cupcakes. So fill the cupcake liner until its almost full.

Cake Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cups sugar (granulated)
3 eggs
1 cup (from a 15 oz can) pumpkin (actual pumpkin, use a pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Garnish:

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 tablespoons sugar (granulated)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line cupcake pan.
2. In 8-inch, nonstick skillet or pan, cook pecans and 2 tablespoons of sugar over low heat for about 8 minutes. Stir frequently until sugar is dissolved and coats the pecans. Spoon sugar covered pecan onto waxed paper and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add in sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Beat well after each addition and scrape the bowl.
5. Beat 2 minutes longer.
6. Add eggs in one at a time. Beat well after each egg.
7. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. On low speed, alternatively add flour mixture (1/3 at a time) and milk (1/2 at a time) and mix until just blended.*
8. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let cool, frost, garnish and enjoy!

*Scrape the bowl one more time and mix just a bit longer.

Frosting Ingredients:

6 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cups shortened butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Cream butter and add sugar, one cup at a time.
2. Stir in vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk.
3. Gradually add in enough milk (1 tablespoon at a time) until smooth and spreadable.
4. Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Garnishing:

You can sprinkle the candied pecan on top like I did, or you could roll the very edges of the frosting with a few candied pecans. They're good either way.

Thanks for baking with me!

-Laura