Email to Stella      

Recipe Categories: Stella's HOME PAGEAPPETIZERS BAKING_SITES BBQ BEAUTY BEEF BEVERAGES BIOGRAPHY BREAD BREAKFAST BROWNIESandBARS BUTTERS_SPREADS CAKES CANDY CANNING_PRESERVING CASSEROLES CELEBRITY CHEESECAKES CHOCOHOLICS_ANONYMOUS COMFORT_FOOD COOKIES COOKING_FOR_2 COPYCAT CRAFT_RECIPES CROCKPOT DESSERTS DIABETIC DIETS ENTERTAINING ETHNIC FISHandSEAFOOD FONDUE FREEZER_FRIENDLY FROSTINGandFILLING FRUIT FUDGE GIFT_BASKET GIFT_JARS GLUTEN_FREE GRILL HINTSandTIPS HOLIDAYS HOMEMADE_PRODUCTS ICE_CREAM JAMSandJELLIES KIDDIE_MENU LOWFAT LOW_CARB MARINADES_RUBS MINUTE_MEALS MUFFINS OAMC PASTA PASTRIES PET_FOOD pHBalance PICNICandCAMPING PIES PIZZA POLITICIAN_FAVORITES PORK POULTRY PRESSURECOOKER QUANTITY_COOKING SALADandDRESSING SANDWICHES SAUCES SEWING_CRAFTS SIDE_DISHES SNACKS SOUPS_STEWS_CHOWDER_CHILI SOUTH_BEACH_DIET STATE_RECIPES TOP_TEN VEGETABLES VEGETARIAN

Halloween: Halloween Cupcakes




Source of Recipe


Family Circle Best-Ever Cakes & Cookies


Recipe Introduction


The "cobwebs" cloaking the cupcake tops are easy to make — just pipe a thin spiral of melted chocolate and then drag the tip of a sharp knife lightly from center to edge.




List of Ingredients




For the Cupcakes:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed light-brown sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
4 eggs
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans (6 ounces)

For the Frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 box (1 pound) confectioners' sugar

For the Decorations:

Candy sprinkles in seasonal colors
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips for cobwebs



Recipe



Prepare cupcakes: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line cups in 2 standard 12-muffin pans with paper liners.

Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt into a medium-size bowl.

With a mixer on medium speed, beat together sugar and butter in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin — mixture may took a little curdled.

On low speed, beat flour mixture into pumpkin mixture just until blended. Stir in pecans by hand. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups.

Bake in heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Prepare frosting:

On medium speed, beat together cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in orange juice concentrate and orange extract. On low speed, gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth and well blended.

Spread top of each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons frosting. Scatter sprinkles on tops of 12 cupcakes, mixing colors as desired. Reserve remaining 12 cupcakes for "cobweb" decoration.

Prepare cobwebs:

Melt chocolate chips in top of a double boiler over barely simmering, not boiling, water, stirring until smooth. Spoon into a small plastic food-storage bag. Snip off a very small corner. Starting in center and ending at edge, pipe chocolate in a spiral on top of each cupcake. To create a cobweb pattern, lightly drag tip of a paring knife or wooden pick through spiral from center to edge; repeat 7 or 8 times, in wheel-spoke fashion.

Yield: Makes 24 cupcakes