Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

You know how in those teen movies from the early 2000's there was always an "ugly, dorky girl" who got a makeover and magically when they took her glasses off and gave her a red dress suddenly she was super hot and dateable?  These cupcakes are like that girl.  They might not look like much, but they are just waiting for Freddie Prinze Jr. to come along and show everyone what is underneath those glasses. Seriously, these are unbelievable (And since I'm a girl, and don't date cupcakes, I can't really help which is totally unfortunate.)

But what I can say, is these are my favorite cupcakes ever.  And I consume a lot of cupcakes.

The cupcake itself isn't all that sweet, and may or may not have passed for a muffin on certain mornings at our house. (Frostingless of course.  What kind of mother do you think I am?)

Just kidding, we eat candy for breakfast all the time.

You should probably bookmark these for next fall.  Or you could just make the frosting to eat with a spoon tonight.  You won't have leftovers.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
•  3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3- 1/2 cup brown sugar (I usually do 1/2 if I'm doing cupcakes instead of muffins)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

Beat the oil, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until combined.  Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the sugar mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20-22 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• 12 oz cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 bricks)
• 6 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla (For frosting I prefer artificial)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 2 pinches nutmeg
• 4 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 3+ cups confectioner's sugar

Beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth.  Add the vanilla, maple syrup, spices, and salt.  Reduce speed to low and add the sugar.  Beat until well-blended.  Increase the speed to high and beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.

This frosting is very sticky and tends to spread a bit, but if you'd like it more pipeable you can add more sugar.  Just add sugar by the 1/4 cupfuls until desired consistency is reached.  (Be sure to taste-test it frequently as well so you don't go overboard.)