Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ingredients

Makes 12

1 cup castor sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed pumpkin
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
100ml sunflower oil
150ml milk
300ml flour
50ml corn flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbs cocoa powder

Frosting:

250g butter, softened
500g Icing Sugar
5ml vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground ginger
Orange gel food colour (optional)

To decorate:

Cocoa powder
Sweets and sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Whisk the castor sugar and eggs together until pale and creamy.

Add the pumpkin, vanilla extract , sunflower oil and milk and mix.

Sift together the flour, corn flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder then mix into the wet ingredients until well combined.

Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases.

Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Set aside to cool completely.

To make the frosting:

Whisk together the butter and the icing sugar, vanilla and spices in a mixer, until smooth, adding a splash of milk if the frosting is too thick.

Colour the frosting using Orange colour.

Place into a piping bag, then pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.

Decorate the cupcakes with a dusting of cocoa powder and sweets or sprinkles if desired.