Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Lightly spiced moist pumpkin cupcakes with a creamy light cinnamon cream cheese frosting are just heaven ( according yo my husband).

Despite the fact that it's now winter already, I'm still embracing autumn, ready with pumpkin, cinnamon, apple, caramel you name it I'm here ready to bake it.

Christmas has come and gone, and with everyone still on their the News Years resolution I decided to make 'healthier' Pumpkin cupcakes for my work birthday cakes. That way they make up part of the five a day.

Pumpkin is such a great ingredient that can be used in a variety of recipes and so versatile. From pumpkin in savoury dishes to sweet. So this time I decided to branch out and try making some pumpkin spiced cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

These pumpkin cupcakes are super moist and can be made days ahead of time. I love how you can see the specs of cinnamon throughout the icing, not to mention the taste is amazing!

Adding an indulgent Chocolate Covered peanut - Peanut M&Ms to the top just adds the amazing flavours. However I ended going through 2 bags digging out all the brown ones! But there is no reason they have to same colour.

If you haven't yet ventured with Pumpkin ( I know it's very american) but you should definitely have ago. Has that perfect texture to moisten and lighten up a cake or bread.

Ingredients
Cake
100g Butter
100g Caster Sugar
100g Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
100ml Milk
150ml Pumpkin Puree
300g Self Raising Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tsp Pumpkin Spice
Frosting
50g Butter
100g Cream Cheese
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
400g Icing Sugar
Peanut M&Ms

Add soften butter, brown sugar and caster sugar and cream together until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, milk and pumpkin puree and mix for a further minute, then add flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder and salt.

Mix until the flour is well incorporated.

Scoop batter into cupcake cases to about 2/3 full.

Bake in the oven at 170c for about 20-25 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly pressed.

While the cakes cool, add soften butter, cinnamon, vanilla and cream cheese then beat together for about a minute, please try not to over beat.

Add icing sugar to the cream cheese butter mixture.

Once all mixed and at piping consistency, if it's a little runny add a little more icing sugar if too thick then add a few drops of milk, then fill up a piping bag with a star nozzle.