Email to Cat      

Halloween: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Source of Recipe


Taste of the South (October / November 2011)



List of Ingredients



• 1 cup unsalted butter
  
• ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  
• ¼ cup sugar
  
• 4 large eggs
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
• ½ tsp salt
  
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
  
• 2 cups pumpkin purée
  
• Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)
  






Instructions



1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line muffin pans with paper liners.
   
   
2. In a large bowl, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add brown sugar and sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
   
   
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ginger. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating to combine. Add pumpkin, beating well. Divide batter among prepared pans.
   
   
4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
   
   
5. Pipe or spread Chocolate Frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Store in an airtight container.
   
   Makes 18 cupcakes.
   
   .............
   
   CHOCOLATE FROSTING
   
   • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
   • 1 cup mildly sweet milk-chocolate morsels, such as Hershey's Special Dark
   • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
   • 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
   • 2 Tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder
   
   In a large bowl, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
   
   In a microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate morsels on high, in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted, approximately 1 minute total.
   
   Add chocolate to butter, beating well. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and cream to butter mixture. Add cocoa powder, beating well.
   Makes approximately 3 cups.