Whew! Glad That's Over With! On to Pumpkin Cupcakes
Granny Turned Nanny is back! Felled by major dental work AND a back sprain, Granny is now back and in fine form and sure is glad all that is over with!
Granny's granddaughter is with her keeping the days full of Autumnal Festivities like baking, Fall flower cutting, and carving Pumpkins! Today we baked Pumpkin cupcakes, oh yum. We started out to make them with just two ingredients; pumpkin and a cake mix. Interjected here and now, is the info that Granny almost NEVER uses cake mixes, she's of the opinion that not much good can come from them. Well, er, maybe some good comes from mixes and maybe some pretty delicious treats have occasionally come from mixes but never a cake tasting like a scratch cake has been the result of using a cake mic, in Granny's humble opinion. For those of us who know the true taste and texture of a from scratch cake, mixes pall in comparison.
But on with things! My precious little one and I used a carrot cake mix and a can of Pumpkin...and a few other things. Being a baker for a long time and with pretty good success, I really had reservations about the Pinterest pin proclaiming perfect pumpkin cakes (lol, almost a tongue twister) with just two ingredients even though I know the cake mix has leavening agents, adding just pumpkin seemed a bit of a stretch for a delicious creation. Upon reading the reviews I gleaned that indeed it was what it was and came out as desired - if all one desired was a chewy pumpkin dish without as many carbs, calories, and perfect for vegetarians and dieters. What I wanted was some simplicity and to not have to measure much etc. No preciseness, if you know what I mean but large on taste and texture! So, here's our recipe and our
Pumpkin Cupcakes turned out magnifico and with just a few more ingredients, literally thrown in!
Heat oven to 350
Ingredients
Carrot Cake mix
1 can Pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 t of cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t allspice (as stated before in my recipes Allspice is a spice in and of itself NOT a mixture of cloves nutmeg and cinnamon - that would be pumpkin pie spice).
1/3 c brown sugar
Combine all ingredients and mix well. I did use my heavy duty mixer, but on low, and for just about 1 minute so this could easily be mixed by hand. I also guessed at the amounts of spices but after being a baker for 50 + yrs, I know a teaspoon and a half teaspoon measurement when I pour spice in my hand. And no measuring flour or baking soda and salt. Or doing the other things scratch cakes require. Like whipping egg whites till soft and then folding in etc!
So, after mixing, the mixture will be a medium thick scoop-able consistency perfect for a little child to scoop out with a 1/3 c dry measuring cup and fill cupcake liners almost full. You can spray your cupcake/muffin tins if desired or you are out of liners. This is really no stress, just whatever. I like the feel of peeling back the liner for the scrumptious treat but it's a personal choice.
Bake for about 20 minutes and they come out risen high and of a great texture and flavor. I iced with a cream cheese frosting from a carton! Wash up's a breeze too.
Enjoy!
