It's Pumpkin Time Again!

It may still be in the low 80's, and I might still be rocking shorts and flip flops, but that doesn't mean that I was any less excited to see mums and pumpkins in front of the grocery store when September 1st rolled around!  

Is it too early to get excited about Fall?

Don't care!

I think that the earlier school starts, the earlier my anticipation of cool, crisp air and the spicy, earthiness of Fall begins.

I admit it: I've been looking at all things apple, pumpkin, burlap, and Fall-colored on Pinterest.

Anyway, the other day my daughter's Girl Scouts leader asked if parents would be willing to bake cupcakes for a VA event for homeless veterans.

No brainer...I bake.  I'm a veteran.  Oh yes...and I had a pumpkin cupcake recipe I wanted to try. :-)

I baked some cupcakes- 2 dozen for the veterans and a dozen or so mini cupcakes with the leftover batter to share with my husband's coworkers.

Soooo yummy!  Moist, spiced, pumpkin goodness.

Did I mention that they're topped with a cream cheese frosting studded with orange zest?

Nom nom nom...

The only snag I hit was when I realized after I started mixing the batter that the recipe calls for pumpkin pie spice- I never buy pumpkin pie spice!  

Thankfully, I remembered having the same predicament a couple of years ago and blogging about it, I  doubled a recipe for pumpkin pie spice from Allrecipes and it worked beautifully!

This one's definitely a keeper, folks- and a perfect way to welcome in the beginnings of Fall!

Harvest Pumpkin Cupcakes

From Allrecipes.com

4 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 cup Mazola® Vegetable Plus! Oil

2 cups sugar

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Argo® OR Kingsford's® Corn Starch

4 teaspoons Spice Islands® Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 teaspoons Argo® Baking Powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons butter OR margarine, softened

1 tablespoon orange juice

2 teaspoons Spice Islands® 100% Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel

4 cups powdered sugar

1. To make cupcakes: Blend the eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl; set aside. Stir together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended. POUR into lined muffin tins. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven for 30 minutes or until center springs back when touched. Cool 30 minutes. Spread with frosting.

2. To make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cupcakes.