Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting ~

..My first post? Ever? This is so exciting ! Nice to meet you fellow readers, I go by the name of Mar and I love to cook. I turned eighteen early December, and the New Year is around the corner. So, why not start a foodblog to share these delicious recipes and photos? Here youuu go!

 Pumpkin-Spice Cupcakes recipe from Make Me Hungry.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 large egg, plus 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup low-fat milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside.  In another bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree and milk.  Set aside.

Cream the butter in an electric mixer.  Gradually beat in the sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, once at a time, and add the vanilla.  Turn mixer to low and alternate the addition of the flour and pumpkin (start and end with flour. Example: add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then half the pumpkin mixture, half of the flour, remaining pumpkin, and rest of the flour mixture).  Mix until just blended.

 Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake pans lined with muffin cups.  The batter should fill 2/3 the way up.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let cool completely on a cooling rack before icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting adapted from Glorious Treats.

• 8 oz cream cheese, straight out of the fridge.
• 1 stick of butter slightly soft but still cool.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
  1-4 Tbsps of heavy whipping cream
  

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.
Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
Slowly add the heavy cream, a little bit at a time until desired consistency is met. (Don't add too much if you want the frosting to stay in place when piped on cupcakes.)
Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)

 What a yummy way to start off my first post with these gorgeous pumpkin cupcakes. They're so flavorful. The aroma of the fall spices warms the house up during these chilly nights.