Recipe Round-Up: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

So, what are you up to tonight? Watching TV? Chasing children? Arguing with your treadmill?

Whatever it is, you should probably make these cupcakes. They make the world a better place. I promise. They are the incarnation of everything we love about fall: pumpkin, maple, cinnamon, nutmeg and love. Lots of love.

And who doesn't need more love, right?

Start with the good stuff: sugar and butter.

Mix them up until they look like that.

Add two eggs and mix again.

Next up: pumpkin. Canned pumpkin works perfectly!

And mix again.

Don't you love that color?

Next up: flour, salt...

baking powder and baking soda...

cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.

Spices of heaven, that's what they are.

Alternate the flour mixture...

...with milk and mix until fluffy.

Grab a spoon or an ice cream scoop and fill up your cupcake pan.

Ice cream scoops help make each cupcake the same size.  Genius, I know.

Now, while they are baking, whip up your maple cream cheese frosting. I would have taken pictures of this process but the sun went down and I lost my lighting. Stinking hands of time. But all you do is add cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and maple extract and you are good to go!

Once your cupcakes are baked and cooled, pile on the icing! I sprinkled just a hint of cinnamon on mine.

Oh man.

OH. MAN.

Welcome to Fall, everyone!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sift before measuring

1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten until frothy
1 cup mashed cooked or canned pumpkin
3/4 cup milk

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into a bowl. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs. Blend in mashed pumpkin. Stir in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, blending until batter is smooth after each addition. Spoon batter into well-greased and floured or paper-lined muffin pan cups. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Makes about 24 cupcakes.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 - 1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of maple extract (or 1/4 cup pure maple syrup)
pinch of salt (optional)

Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix slowly. Add maple extract and mix. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes. Inhale.