Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Whipped Cream

We had a potluck at work the other day with all the other organizations in our building.

I love potlucks.

There's no doubt about it... I over eat...and I hate myself for pretty much the rest of the afternoon, but you have to try a little bit of everything right?? It just wouldn't be fair to leave a dip or side unattended and god forbid one of the desserts doesn't get as much love as the next!

The week prior to this particular potluck one of the ladies from another office came over and requested I make cupcakes..she loves my cupcakes (I hope you would too if you got to try one) so much in fact that she ate 5 mini versions of these at lunch!

I went back and forth about what kind of cupcake to make for the occasion, but since it was a Fall Potluck I figured I couldn't go wrong with anything pumpkin (and we all know by now that I love pumpkin).

While imagining this recipe in my head I had high hopes for a Maple Brown Sugar Buttercream, much to my dismay however, I failed miserably. For whatever reason my frosting kept separating and while it tasted delightful, it was hideous and un-frostable.

At about 10pm and two horrible attempts later, I gave up and went with Maple Whipped Cream, delightful in its own right.

I made little ones to bring to the potluck and wanted to make a batch of regular sized cupcakes as well to hold us over at the office until lunchtime, only to find out mid bake sesh that I ran out of liners. So I resorted to making my own out of parchment paper. Between the failures at frosting and lack of supplies I didn't get to bed till MUCH later than I wanted, but at least everything tasted good!

Pumpkin Cupcakes
Oven: 350 Bake time: 20-25 minutes
24 regular cupcakes or lots of little ones or 2 8-inch cakes

2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup veggie oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 can (or 2 cups) pureed pumpkin  (not pumpkin pie)
4 eggs
2 cups AP flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan or lightly grease and flour cake pans.
In a large bowl, add sugar and with mixer on slowly add oil* you want to slowly add the oil so that the sugar has time to absorb it and avoid super oily cupcakes
Add vanilla and pumpkin mixing until combined.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, incorporating after each addition.
In a small bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix until combined.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, checking with toothpick and adjusting time if necessary.
Transfer to cooling rack- if cupcakes almost immediately remove from pan, if cake allow to cool in pan for at least 20 minutes before removing from pan to completely cool.

Maple Whipped Cream
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 TBS pure maple syrup

In a large mixing bowl, beat/whip cream until it begins to thicken.
Slowly add powdered sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup.
Continue to beat/whip until stiff peaks form.

Last year I used this same recipe to make a Witches Brew Cake for a little Halloween get together with my girlfriends.. what do you think??

Happy Baking!

I'm still on the lookout...Anyone out there have a good recipe for Brown Sugar Buttercream??