Pumpkin Cupcakes with Browned Maple Buttercream

I feel that I should give a disclaimer here that we try to eat healthily.  Honestly, we do.  We only have dessert when we have company and on birthdays or major holidays.  It just so happens that we've had a lot of birthdays, holidays, and company lately.  And seriously, I'm not going to post pictures of our spinach salads and sloppy lentils.  I doubt you'd be interested in that.

Now that I've cleared my conscience a bit...

Marshall had a birthday yesterday!  We celebrated big time, and it was fun to have our nephew and niece here to help.

I also discovered browned butter this weekend.  Incredible.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Pumpkin Cupcakes (click to print)

Ingredients

2- 1/2  C cake flour

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

2 t cinnamon

1 t ginger

2 C sugar

4 eggs

1 can (2 C) pumpkin puree

1 C vegetable oil

1 t vanilla

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl.  Add the sugar.

Beat together the eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and beat until fluffy (about 7 minutes).

Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full and bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes.

Cool cupcakes on a wire rack.

Browned Maple Buttercream

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter

4 C powdered sugar

3 T cream, half & half, or milk

1 t maple flavoring

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  It will start to bubble first and then slowly turn brown.  Stir frequently so it browns evenly.  When it is the color of dark honey, remove the pan from the heat.  Let the butter cool and solidify completely.

When the butter is solidified, put it into a large mixing bowl and add 1 C powdered sugar.

Beat until well mixed, and add 1 C powdered sugar.

Add maple; beat to combine.

Add 1 T cream; continue beating.

Add remaining powdered sugar, 1 C at a time.

Add the rest of the cream until you reach the desired consistency.

Pipe onto cupcakes!