I am one of those people who can’t help but take a look at the on-sale items in the grocery store. After the holiday season, I always seem to find large cans of pumpkin puree on sale. Why normal people seem to abandon all love for pumpkin spice after November, I’ll never know – but I am unable to leave an on-sale can of pumpkin without a home. Thus, my pantry tends to have an excess of pumpkin.

Cupcakes are a great way to use up some pumpkin puree and bring a little Halloween cheer to any time of the year. This batter recipe also tastes very muffin-like, so in the past I have also foregone the frosting and used the batter to make sweet breakfast muffins for on-the-go mornings.

The batter ingredients are:

• 3/4 Cup Butter (softened)
• 1 1/2 Cups white granulated sugar
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 15 oz (1 Can) Pumpkin Puree
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 1 Tsp Vanilla
• 2 1/3 Cups Flour
• 1 Tbsp Nutmeg
• 1 1/2 Tsps Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 3/4 Tsp Salt (or 1/4 Tsp Salt if you have used Salted Butter)

Directions:

Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare your muffin pan with cupcake liners (preferably Halloween printed ones!)

Step 2 – In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Step 3 – Beat in each of the three eggs. Add the pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Step 4 – In a separate bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Step 5 – Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix in about 1/3 of the dry ingredients at a time.

Step 6 – Pour the batter into the cupcake liners. Each liner should be filled no more than 3/4 of the way to the top.

Step 7 – Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 8 – Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.