Pumpkin cupcakes

Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin! You know we're always trying new pumpkiny things, and I had extra pumpkin puree after baking the pie for Thanksgiving, so I decided on cupcakes (you know how long it's been since I made cupcakes? too long). This is a combination of recipes I found around the web, and it went over well with all four of the families we noshed with this holiday, so I hope you like it!

Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Yield: 24 cupcakes.
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients for the cupcakes:
  ● 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  ● 1 tbsp. baking powder
  ● 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  ● 1/2 tsp. salt
  ● 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  ● 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  ● 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  ● 1/2 cup butter, softened
  ● 1 1/3 cups sugar
  ● 2 eggs, beaten
  ● 1 cup pumpkin puree
  ● 3/4 cup milk
  ● 1 cup chopped pecans

Ingredients for the frosting:
  ● 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  ● 1/2 cup butter, softened
  ● 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
  ● 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, then blend in mashed pumpkin. Stir in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, blending until batter is smooth after each addition; fold in chopped pecans. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. While baking, beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until well blended, then mix in sugar. Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.