Pumpkin Cupcakes With Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• candy sprinkles (optional)
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Recipe

• 1 in a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until smooth. add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
• 2 add pumpkin and vanilla and beat until well blended (mixture will look separated at this point).
• 3 in another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. stir half the flour mixture into pumpkin mixture.
• 4 stir in milk just until blended. add remaining flour mixture and stir just until incorporated.
• 5 spoon batter equally into 12 muffin cups (1/3-cup capacity; cups should be about 3/4 full) lined with paper baking cups.
• 6 bake in a 350° regular or convection oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed in the center and a wooden skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
• 7 let cool in pans on racks for 5 minutes; remove cupcakes from pans and set on racks to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
• 8 orange cream cheese frosting: in a bowl, with a mixer on low speed,cream cheese and butter, until well blended. beat in powdered sugar, orange zest, and orange extract until smooth.
• 9 spoon orange cream cheese frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch star tip and pipe onto tops of cupcakes, or spread on cupcakes with a knife. decorate with candy sprinkles, if desired.