happy fall, ya'll

I'm not big on pumpkin pie, but I love pumpkin-flavored baked goods. So when I saw this recipe, I couldn't resist. These were easy to make and went quickly at our work Thanksgiving potluck.

ps- canned pumpkin is on the aisle with the apple sauce & canned fruit, not with the yams & veggies.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

From Smitten Kitchen, Adapted from David Leite
Yield: 17 to 18 cupcakes (don't even try to get 24 out of this like I did. trust me)

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pans

1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

* (Instead of these 4 spices, I used 2 teaspoons of apple pie spice)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (little less than 2 cans)

Frosting:

Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (I think more like 1/2 cup of have been better... will do that next time).

Make the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.
2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.
3. Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Scoop the batter among the cupcake liners — you’re looking to get them 3/4 full. Rap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

Make the frosting:

In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. To assemble the cake, frost the top of one cake, place the other cake on top. Frost the sides and top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set up frosting.