Pumpkin Cupcakes with Candy Corn Buttercream

Name: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Candy Corn Buttercream
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American,
Ingredients: 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground; 1/4 tsp McCormick® Nutmeg, Ground; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 large eggs room temperature; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1/4 cup hot water; 1 cup canned pumpkin; 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature; pinch of salt; 3 cups confectioners' sugar; 2 tbsps heavy cream; 2 tsps McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract; 2 tsps Sunflower color from McCormick® Nature's Inspiration Food Colors divided; 1/4 tsp Berry color from McCormick® Nature's Inspiration Food Colors

Frost pumpkin spice cupcakes with homemade buttercream tinted with Nature's Inspiration™ Food Colors to create a candy corn effect. Pipe a wide ring of sunflower-colored buttercream and one layer of pumpkin-colored frosting onto the cupcakes. Top with a star-tippe...

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cupcakes
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup canned pumpkin
Candy Corn Buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch of salt
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons McCormick® All Natural Pure Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Sunflower color from McCormick® Nature's Inspiration Food Colors, divided
1/4 teaspoon Berry color from McCormick® Nature's Inspiration Food Colors

KEY PRODUCTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1 For the Cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
2 Beat eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed 3 minutes. Add oil, hot water and pumpkin; beat until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended.
3 Spoon batter into 16 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
4 Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out barely clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.
5 For the Buttercream, beat butter and salt in large bowl on medium-low speed until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar on low speed in small increments until all is added. Then beat on medium-high speed until blended. Add cream and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy.
6 Divide buttercream evenly into 3 bowls. For Sunflower Buttercream, stir 1 teaspoon of the Sunflower color into first bowl. For Pumpkin Buttercream, stir remaining 1 teaspoon Sunflower color and 1/4 teaspoon Berry color into second bowl. For White Buttercream, leave third bowl untinted.
7 Spoon the Sunflower Buttercream and Pumpkin Buttercream into 2 separate pastry bags each fitted with a round decorating tip. Spoon the White Buttercream into another pastry bag fitted with a star decorating tip.
8 To decorate the cupcakes, pipe one wide ring of Sunflower Buttercream on top of each cupcake. Pipe a smaller ring of Pumpkin Buttercream on top of the Sunflower Buttercream. Using the White Buttercream, pipe a star shape in the center of the Pumpkin Buttercream.