My Birthday Cupcakes

Note from the author (in the voice of the Glee narrorator): Here's what you missed on The Hidden Vegetable... red velvet cake was promised, but the first attempt was a disaster of epic proportions, and a second attempt has not yet been made... the author was shocked to discover that her favorite cupcakes haven't yet been posted... and one more year has come and gone.  And that's what you missed on The Hidden Vegetable.
 

Happy Birthday to me!  

These are my most favorite cupcakes.  Not because they are good for me, not because they have a hidden vegetable, but because they are simply the BEST CUPCAKES EVER!  

I apologize for the yelling.  In those caps, I am Dash from Disney/Pixar's the Incredibles, when he says "BEST DAY EVERRRR!" and proceeds to spin around and fall down in happiness.  Because Dash, I know how you feel buddy, I know how you feel.

These are Ina Garten's pumpkin cupcakes.

I have never made her maple frosting.  It looks delicious, I am just partial to chocolate frosting.  Specifically, my chocolate frosting.  My secret-recipe-best-ever-can-be-eaten-with-a-spoon chocolate frosting.  (Otherwise known as the one bowl chocolate frosting from the unsweetened baking chocolate package... here is the link.)

Here we go...

Cupcake Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon    plus a little extra!
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger    plus a little extra!
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg    plus a little extra!
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin purée (8 ounces), not pie filling    plus a little extra!
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil    I use walnut oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350, line 12 muffin cups with liners (note: she says 10, but I have always made 12, maybe it's my extra spices...).
  
It's the usual, combine dry ingredients, combine wet ingredients, mix both together just until moist.  Spoon into cups, bake 20-25 minutes.  

 

Frosting Ingredients

4 oz. BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate 

1 pkg.  (16 oz.) powdered sugar
1/2 cup  butter, softened 
2 tsp.  vanilla (oops, I only used one...)
1/3 cup  milk

Directions

Melt chocolate, mix in butter, vanilla, and sugar.  Add milk slowly until you have the desired consistency.  I use my stand mixer on whatever speed the knob lands on.  I've also used skim, whole, and almond milk, and also water, and never noticed a difference.  (Now THAT would be a fun side-by-side taste test!)      

I have experimented with different amounts of powdered sugar, from one cup to four, and it always turns out delicious.  One cup doesn't make it quite sweet enough for me, but for people who like less sweet frosting (Like my research team!  I know right?  Not sure why I married him.) it is perfect.  Or better anyway.  My research team would actually prefer no frosting.  Whatevz, more for me!  (OH, that's why I married him!! :) )

So far, I am the only one who has had a cupcake, because at the dinner party we were all so full that we completely forgot about desert.  But I still submit that they are the best cupcakes ever!

ps.  I asked my research team how to spell 'whatevz', and he replied "I don't know, let me look it up in my Webster's dictionary."  Ha!  Hilairous.