happy halloween!

{that's snow outside my window . . . yes, SNOW!}

when i think of halloween in pennsylvania, the last thing i think about is snow.  yet, this weekend (just two days before halloween) we got several inches of snow!  i'm used to having a white christmas around here, but a white halloween is really pushing it.  since the weather was oh-so-cold, after running a few errands on saturday morning, we decided to stay inside for most of the weekend.  we watched halloween movies on tv and baked pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting to bring to work for halloween!   

tonight i am looking forward to seeing ryan's outdoor lighting design for the trick-or-treaters and handing out candy to the little ghouls and goblins in our neighborhood.  

what are you doing tonight for halloween?    

happy halloween!

pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

prep time: 15-20 minutes
baking time: 20 minutes
yields: 24 cupcakes

cupcake ingredients:
1/2 cup salted butter (softened)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 room temperature eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

frosting ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese (softened)

4 tablespoons salted butter (softened)

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions:
preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  line 24 muffin cups with paper muffin liners.  beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  add the eggs one at a time.  allow each egg to blend into the mixture before adding the next.  add in the milk and pumpkin puree, beat well to combine.  add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.   beat only until the flour is incorporated.  avoid over mixing the flour.  scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups.  bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  cool the cupcakes for at least 10 minutes on a wire rack.  once the cupcakes are cool, frost the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

to make the cream cheese frosting: beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth.  gradually beat in the powdered sugar alternating with the milk a little at a time, until incorporated.  add the vanilla and beat until fluffy.  optional: you can add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the cream cheese frosting if you wish.

enjoy! 

love, laurie