Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes - Version 2

Cole's class is going to the pumpkin patch tomorrow, and I couldn't just make the Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes for Caden's class last week.  Now of course I couldn't do the same cupcakes I already did, so on to pumpkin patch cupcakes #2.  

I first started with a Pumpkin Ginger Cupcake I found on All Recipes.  This one wasn't as simple as last week's recipe but it sure did smell good and my friend tasted the batter for me and thought it was yummy (I'm still on my diet and not allowed sugar or carbs).  

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger   1 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup white sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, and crystallized ginger in a bowl; set aside.
2.	Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin puree with the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3.	Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

After the cupcakes cooled (yes let them cool, I didn't at first and the icing melted right off them). I added the Sturdy Whipped Cream Frosting I used last week.  

Ingredients:

Orange Sugar

Watermelon Airheads / Cut in half and shaped like a leaf

Orange Frosting Gel

Green Licorice (I found in bulk isle and cut in half)

My amazing friend helped me roll the iced cupcakes in orange sugar, add orange lines with frosting gel, top with a green licorice for the stem and we even added a green leaf made from watermelon airheads.  See the photo below for step by step directions.

My camera died half way threw so forgive me for not done cupcake and the low resolution for the pumpkin cupcakes.  Hope you have a wonderful day and you try out these yummy Cupcakes.