Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! If you're in the mood for a sweet celebration today, you might want to try these lovely little pumpkin cupcakes. They are dense and moist, with just the right amount of spice. The cream cheese frosting is sinfully rich, creamy and velvety smooth. I think they make a spooktacularly winning combination! My little five year old twin nephews thought so.

My little trick for the frosting is to add some Pecan-Pumpkin Butter from Williams-Sonoma. This stuff is awesome! You can spread it on toast or muffins, cook or bake with it or just spoon it out of the jar.

Pumpkin Bliss Cupcakes

Adapted from Deborah Im

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp., plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 cup sugar

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

4 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

¾ cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line the muffin pans with liners or spray them with baking spray.

Sift together the flour, spice, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin and eggs, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the oil and the orange juice until the batter is smooth.

Add the flour-spice mix to the pumpkin mixture and fold together until well incorporated, but do not overmix.

Bake 20–25 minutes.

Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Pecan-Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

2 8 oz packages cold cream cheese

1 stick unsalted butter, firm, but not cold.

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 cup Pumpkin-Pecan butter* (sold at Williams-Sonoma)

1 tsp. vanilla

3-4 cups confectioner's sugar

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and salt together on medium speed until smooth.

Beat in Pumpkin-Pecan Butter and vanilla until combined.

Reduce speed to low and add confectioner's sugar gradually, until the frosting has the sweetness and texture that you want. It should be creamy and dense.

Enjoy!