Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Photo courtesy of Iva, member NYC Cake Decorators Meetup

It's been a great year full of wonderful experiences and I am grateful for the members of NYC Cake Decorators Meetup, and the followers on NYC Cake Decorators Facebook, Twitter, and this blog. In behalf of NYC Cake Decorators Meetup, I wish you all a warm and wonderful Happy Thanksgiving Day!

If you still need ideas for your holiday dessert, try this scrumptious pumpkin cupcake recipe.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cupcakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin

Frosting

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350º and line a 12-cup muffin tin with bake cups. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Set the mixture aside.

2. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the oil and sugar. Whisk in the eggs and stir in the vanilla extract.

3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently stir the mixture until well combined. Explain to your child that she should stir only until she can no longer see any pockets or streaks of flour.

4. Stir the pumpkin into the batter until it is thoroughly combined. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of one cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes sit in the tin for 10 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool thoroughly.

5. Meanwhile, make the Cream Cheese Frosting. In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat together the confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter, and lemon juice until smooth.
   

6. Frost with a star tip or to make a more decorative design, frost smoothly with an off-set spatula and then hand-mold pumpkins from fondant or white candy clay colored with orange food gel. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Dina