Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It has been three months and a lot has been happening behind the scenes but I will share that with you very soon. 

In the meantime, lets get October started with a great baking recipe that I have been making for years and have yet to share on my blog. So please enjoy!! It is a favorite. 

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe from Real Simple a million years ago

Ingredients:

1 -18.5 ounce box yellow cake mix (plus the ingredients     called for in the package directions.) 

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 -15 ounce can pumpkin puree 

2 -8 ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature (you can substitute for the pre-made kind if you wish)

2 cups confectioner's sugar *for the cream cheese frosting

24 pieces of candy corn or candy pumpkins

>Heat oven to 350*F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Prepare the cake mix as directed but with the following change: Add the pumpkin pie spice and substitute the can of puree for the water called for in the package directions. 

>Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Let it cool. 

> Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Spread on the cupcakes and top each with a piece of candy. (You can totally skip this step if you have the pre-made frosting!)

Make-Ahead Tip: The cupcakes can be baked and stored at room temperature, covered, up to 2 days in advance. Frost them up to 12 hours before serving. 

Printable version here: https://sites.google.com/site/kaleidoscopeofcolorsrecipes/pumpkin-spice-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting

It has been so hot here that making my own pumpkin puree would mean turning on the oven for a long period of time and heating up the already hot house. But that is something you can do to make them really good, making your own pumpkin puree from scratch. 

Another skipped step is just buying the pre-made frosting. When I made these for my Mommy and Me group, I made these late at night and didn't have the energy to make the frosting or rather dirty more utensils I would later have to wash. Laziness at its finest!

Michaels also had these Halloween Paper Bakeware that made it really easy just to drop in the batter and bake. They spooky decor cups were a hit at Mommy and Me group. *note, they were somewhat difficult to frost or maybe I just stink at frosting cupcakes.* 

Yet another Pumpkin Spice recipe to add to the Fall baking. Please let me know if you have any questions. 

~Amanda