The Perfect Fall Pumpkin Cupcakes

For those of us that love pumpkin pie, we can’t get enough of it. So why not make pumpkin pie into a cupcake, topped with rich cream cheese frosting, that travels well and will have all your friends wanting a bite.
Makes: 12 large cupcakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake

• 250g / 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 200g / 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4g / 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3g / 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 2g / 1 tsp baking soda
• 1g / ½ tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 245g / 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 125ml / ½ cup buttermilk
• 56g / ¼ cup Mirage margarine, melted

For the cream cheese frosting

• 113g / ½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• 113g / ½ cup Mirage margarine
• 5ml / 1 tsp vanilla
• 400g / 3 cups icing sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
2. In large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and baking soda.



3. In separate bowl, whisk eggs, blend in pumpkin, buttermilk and melted Mirage Margarine.




4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir just until combined.




5. Spoon the batter into large paper-lined muffin cups, just over 3/4 full.



6. Bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, which should take approximately 25 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool on rack.
8. While the cupcakes are baking prepare the frosting. In bowl, beat the cream cheese, Mirage Margarine and vanilla until light and fluffy.



9. Add in the icing sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy.
10. Once the cakes are cool, transfer the frosting to a piping bag, fitted with your favourite tip.
11. Pipe a healthy portion of frosting on top of each cupcake, then sprinkle with a little extra pumpkin pie spice to garnish.

Chef Notes

• Cream cheese frosting is the easiest to make when the cream cheese is at room temperature. It’s softer and more ready to mix together with your margarine. If you’re in a pinch and need to the warm it up quickly, take the box off the cream cheese, place the foil wrapped cream cheese into a small freezer bag. Squeeze as much of the air out as possible, seal the bag and then put it in a bowl filled with warm water until soft.
• If you don’t want to buy butter milk, just measure out the same amount of regular milk, and add in a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, then stir. Let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes and you’ll have a quick and easy substitute made from things you already have on hand.