Pumpkin cupcakes with a cream cheese cinnamon frosting.

My favorite season is fall. The leaves are changing beautiful bright colors, and as they fall and drift through the wind, everything seems magical. I, more than normal, took great notice in the colors of the leaves this year. There were these trees that I passed everyday on my way to school that were this beautiful, bright red. You couldn't help but notice them when you went by. During this time of the year to express the magical qualities that I find in fall, I think of pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin, pumpkin pumpkin. Pumpkin just screams autumn. Above I mentioned pumpkin cupcakes, these little cakes are just scrumptious. Pumpkin cupcakes are fall, all wrapped up into one little delight. So if that wasn't enough to get you to make them, I don't know what will.

Another reason to love these is that this recipe is so super easy to make. If you have a cake mix and pumpkin then you can probably make these. Not a lot of work involved since it uses a cake mix. BONUS! You of course don't have to use the cream cheese cinnamon frosting recipe that I provided but I would highly recommend because it is awesome.  

The cream cheese cinnamon frosting as mentioned above that accompanies these pumpkin cupcakes is absolutely amazing. Cream cheese frosting is amazing with out cinnamon, but you add the cinnamon and it is even more amazing. I could probably just eat it right out the bowl all day long. Pair that with the pumpkin cupcakes, and you have one delicious dessert. So go ahead and make them for Thanksgiving or for just the heck of it. You won't be disappointed. 

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For cupcakes:

1 yellow cake mix

1 can (14-15 oz.) pumpkin puree 

1 cup milk

2 Tbs. oil

5 Tbs. butter, melted

4 eggs

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

For cinnamon cream cheese frosting:

1-  8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

7 Tbs. butter, at room temperature

1 lb. powder sugar (or about 7 cups powder sugar)

1 tsp.vanilla

2 tsp. cinnamon 

Directions:

For cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake holder with liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pumpkin pie spice. Add pumpkin, milk, oil, butter, and eggs to the bowl and mix well until smooth.
3. Fill each lined cupcake holder with batter 2/3 full. 
4. Bake in oven for 10-16 minutes or until when a inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes and then remove from pan and let cool on wire rack or towel. 

For Frosting:

1. Using electric mixer, in a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy and smooth. Next add the butter and mix with mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Add the vanilla and mix. Combine in powder sugar 1 cup at time, so that it doesn't make a huge mess. Mix until smooth.
3. After adding all the powder sugar, add the cinnamon. Mix until well blended.
4. Frost cupcakes or pipe frosting on with piping bag and tip. I used the Wilton 1M tip. 

Enjoy! Everyone in my family loved these cupcakes, They each came back wanting another one. I plan on serving these at Thanksgiving dinner. They will easily fit in with any Thanksgiving meal. Or eat them anytime like I am sure my family and I will. 

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Peace, love, bake on.

                                             Andrea