Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple and Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/16 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 8oz cream cheese package
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 cup confectioners� sugar

Directions

1. 1. Heat oven to 350�F. Line two and a half 24 cup mini muffin baking pans with mini cupcake papers. Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt and pepper into a medium bowl. Stir vanilla extract into the buttermilk. Set both aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the butter and the sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixer.
2. 2. Continue to mix at medium speed and add the egg. Scrape down the sides again.
3. 3. Add the flour in three additions, alternating with two additions of the buttermilk and vanilla, so you begin and end with flour. Beat in the pumpkin until the mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from stand mixer and stir the mixture gently to make sure the all the flour and pumpkin are combined.
4. 5. Using a teaspoon begin to scoop the batter into the prepared baking trays until they are 3/4 way full. Bake in oven for 16 minutes, check with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes in baking trays before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Frosting

1. 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, butter and maple syrup together on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed begin adding the confectioners� sugar continuously. When it is all added and combined (any sooner and the sugar will fly everywhere!), turn the mixer to medium high and whip the frosting for 1 minutes.
2. 2. Scoop into a piping bag (or ziploc bag) fitted with a #16 tip (a small flower tip by Wilton) or equivalent. Frost the cooled mini cupcakes and serve!