Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes Food

PUMPKIN PATCH CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cut the licorice twists into thirty-six 3/4-inch pieces for the pumpkin stems. Tint the vanilla frosting orange with the food coloring. Tint 1/2 cup of the orange frosting a darker shade of orange with more food coloring, and spoon into a ziplock bag. Press out the excess air, seal the bag, and set aside.
• Place the orange decorating sugar in a shallow bowl. Spread the lighter orange frosting on top of the cupcakes, mounding it slightly. Starting on the edge, roll the cupcake tops in the sugar to cover completely.
• Use a wooden skewer to mark ridges in the top of each cupcake. Starting in the center or slightly off center, lightly press the skewer down toward the top of the paper liner to create 5 or 6 indentations. Snip a 1/16-inch corner from the bag with the darker orange frosting and pipe a line in each indentation to make the ribs. Insert a cut green twist for the stem. Arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter or a cutting board and add the green licorice laces, trimmed to various lengths, for the tendrils.

PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the pumpkin cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line one 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add the butter and the sugar. Beat with a hand-held mixer until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and the vanilla extract. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time. Incorporate the dry mixture into the wet mixtures together until thoroughly combined.
• Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way full. Bake until the tops turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the oven to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
• For the cream cheese frosting: Add the cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, and salt to a large bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar until thoroughly combined.
• Top the cupcakes with the frosting and chopped pecans.

PUMPKIN PIE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, and coat the liners and the top of the tin with cooking spray.
• Whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, butter, eggs, milk and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, and gently fold until just incorporated (it's OK if there are some lumps).
• Bake until the tops spring back when pressed, 24 to 28 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through. Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. (The cupcakes can be made up to 2 days before and refrigerated in an airtight container.)
• For the pie crust cutouts: While the muffins are cooling, cut out 12 shapes from the pie crust, and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each with milk, and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar. Bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Let cool completely.
• For the filling/topping: Beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar together in a medium bowl until smooth. Add 1 cup of the cream, and beat until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1 cup cream, and beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pastry bag.
• To fill and top the cupcakes: Use a teaspoon or a melon baller to take a small scoop out of the top center of each cupcake (save these cupcake pieces). Squeeze some of the filling/topping into each hole, and top with one of the cupcake pieces. Pipe a swirl of the filling/topping on top of each cupcake. (The cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours at this point if you prefer them chilled.) Gently push a pie crust cutout into the frosting of each cupcake, and serve.

PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together both sugars, butter, eggs, and pumpkin puree. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until tops spring back when lightly touched, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Decorate with cream cheese frosting and marzipan pumpkins.