Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

with Chocolate Morsels

and Orange Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

Fall is here and we are all involved in a concerted effort to incorporate pumpkin into everything we eat. Although canned pumpkin is available all year round, there is always a rush to devour all the pumpkin we possibly can from the autumnal equinox until Thanksgiving.  After that, the pumpkin season quickly draws to a close and we all move on to peppermint and gingerbread.

These Chocolate Goddess cupcakes are a celestial addition to the pumpkin season.  For those who are not pie lovers, this is a delectable pumpkin treat.  Moreover, this is the perfect pumpkin innovation to make cupcake devotees feel part of the autumn season.  You can now have your pumpkin - along with some chocolate and cream cheese frosting - and eat it too.

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Chocolate Morsels

Ingredients

2 cups Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 teaspoons Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Ginger

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves

1 cup Light Brown Sugar

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 pound (2 sticks) Butter

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

4 Large Eggs (lightly whisked)

1 - 15 ounce can Pumpkin Puree

1/4 cup applesauce (1 small individual portion container)

1  1/2 cup Semisweet Chocolate Morsels

Makes 24 cupcakes

Baking Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake papers.

Combine dry ingredients.

Mix the following together well: oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, eggs and applesauce.

Add dry ingredients in a couple batches.

Fold in chocolate morsels by hand.

Bake 21 - 23 minutes just until toothpick comes out clean.

Let tins stand for 5 minutes only and carefully remove from tins onto wire wrack.

Use a paring knife to gently loosen if any have run over.

Let cool thoroughly before frosting.

Orange Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

16 ounces (2 - 8 ounce bars) of Cream Cheese

1/2 pound (2 sticks) Butter

1 tablespoon Pure Orange Extract

1 teaspoon grated Fresh Orange Peel

1  teaspoons Ginger

2 pounds Powdered Sugar

A very few drops of orange or red and yellow food coloring to make orange

Instructions for Frosting

Bring butter and cream cheese to room, temperature for 30 - 45 minutes. 

Cream butter and incorporate cream cheese thoroughly.

Add freshly grated orange zest (be careful not to incorporate any pith).

Add orange extract, and ginger.

Beat in powdered sugar a few batches at a time until creamy.

Add food coloring a little bit at a time.  It should be subtly orange for a natural effect.

Frost cupcakes thickly in variations you prefer.

Refrigerate frosted cupcakes until ready to use. 

Bring to room temperature for an hour before serving.