Pumpkin Cupcakes

I've shared this post before on my friend Hallie's blog, but I'm posting it here today, since it's Thanksgiving week, and pumpkin cupcakes would be delicious during Thanksgiving :)

This is a recipe for homemade pumpkin cupcakes as well as homemade cream cheese frosting! This is Jeff's Granny's recipe, so it's a tried-and-true winner. And let me be really honest here -  both the cupcakes and the frosting are super delicious. So get ready, because I'm sure you're going to want to try this out for yourself! And don't let their simple appearance in the photograph below mislead you - there's all sorts of yummy in there!

Here's the cupcake ingredients and directions first...

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 can pumpkin
2 cups AP (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit)
Whip eggs and sugar together first
Add oil and whip again
Slowly add in flour a little bit at a time (I do about 1/2 cup at a time)
Once mixed, add in all other ingredients (pumpkin, baking soda & powder, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg)
Mix everything together until smooth and creamy, with very few lumps
Use an ice cream scoop to put batter into lined cupcake tins
Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean
(This recipe makes at least 24 cupcakes, so it will need to be baked in separate batches.)

While the cupcakes are in the oven baking, you can make the cream cheese frosting, and leave it sitting out to stay room temperature until time to use it. So here's the frosting ingredients and directions...

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
Whip together butter and cream cheese until thoroughly mixed
Add in confectioner's sugar a little bit at a time again (same way as flour for cupcakes) about 1/2 cup at a time
Mix until smooth and creamy, add in vanilla, and mix again
Top cupcakes with frosting with whatever method you may choose, although I just did it with a knife!

So listen ladies (and gentlemen?), make these sometime in the next few weeks/months while pumpkin-everything is still all the rage. Take them to a party or a dinner or share them with friends, and let them rave over your moist, yummy pumpkin cupcakes! I guarantee you won't be disappointed with these!

Hope y'all are having a great day, and a great Thanksgiving week!