Ina Garten's Pumpkin Cupcake with Maple Frosting

Last Friday night our good friends Jenn and Ori invited us over to their new place for a home cooked meal. The dinner was delicious and they worked really hard putting it all together, no small feat considering Jenn is due to deliver their first child in just 3 1/2 weeks! 

We started off with a wonderful Italian Ceasar Salad with Polenta Croutons. The next course was fresh pasta from Eataly, which was topped with Marcella Hazan's awesome tomato sauce (made from San Marzano tomatoes- the real ones- and whole onions that were removed once the sauce was complete). 

I brought these cupcakes over for dessert, which I made after spotting the recipe in the most recent issue of House Beautiful-- and you know I check the magazine every month because they regularly feature Ina Garten.  

This one is one of my favorites for the fall season. I made one modification to the cupcake topping by adding Vermont Maple Syrup to the frosting. It worked perfectly. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting 

(Courtesy of Ina Garten @ House Beautiful)


Makes 10 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup canned pumpkin purée (8 ounces), not pie filling

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Maple Frosting (recipe follows)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped Heath bars, for serving (2 1.4-ounce bars)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush or spray the top of 10 muffin tins with vegetable oil and line them with 10 paper liners.

2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

3. Divide the batter among the prepared tins (I use a level 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

4. Spread the cupcakes with the Maple Frosting and sprinkle with the chopped toffee bits.

Maple Frosting (Adapted)

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon Maple Syrup

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.