Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

One of the technicians at work recently moved on to another job.  Before she left, she had jokingly asked me to make her some cupcakes after one of the other doctors was talking about how I bake.  I said that I would bake her some and asked what kind she wanted.  She requested Pumpkin cupcakes.  I've never baked with pumpkin before, but thought what a perfect time to try!

I immediately went to my favorite source of cake recipes: Piece of Cake! by Camilla Saulsbury.  I wanted to use a recipe that wasn't too involved.  This book is all about recipes that use only one bowl.  Basically, you can throw everything in all at once and the cakes come out awesome!  While the book doesn't have specific cupcake recipes, I chose one that was meant to be a sheet cake and just made them into cupcakes.

I don't really eat pumpkin and neither do my kids.  But we all liked this!  It's not a strong pumpkin flavor.  It's more spice than anything, but you can tell there's pumpkin in the cake.  The original recipe calls for a maple frosting, but I went with cream cheese instead.  Mainly, because I didn't have any maple syrup on hand.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
(From Piece of Cake! by Camilla Saulsbury)

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 can (15 oz/425 mL) pumpkin puree (not pie filling) - I ended up using a 16 oz box
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper/foil liners.
3.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4.  Add eggs, pumpkin, oil and vanilla to flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until blended.
5.  Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling till about 2/3 full.
6.  Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
7.  Let cupcakes cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
(Makes 3 cups)

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups confectioner's (icing) sugar
1 lb brick-style cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions
1.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat confectioner's sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy (do not overbeat).
2.  Use immediately.