Pumpkin Cupcake with Cinnamon Buttercream Icing

For the cupcakes:
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour, sift before measuring
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 c butter, softened
1 1/3 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten until frothy
1 c canned pumpkin
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375* F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl.

Meanwhile, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs. Blend in mashed pumpkin. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk, blending until batter is smooth after each addition. Spoon batter into well-greased and floured or paper-lined muffin pan cups. (OR... I use these whenever I make cupcakes or muffins, because they are so easy and require very little clean up. You just place them directly on a cookie sheet and bake as is.) Bake cupcakes for about 20-25 minutes.

For the Cinnamon Buttercream Icing:

1 c butter, soft and room temperature

1 tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon

1 lb confectioners sugar (10x)

3 tbsp milk

Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Add vanilla; mix until blended. Stir cinnamon into confectioners' sugar. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended after each addition, frequently scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Beat in milk until light and fluffy. If frosting is to thick to spread, gradually beat in additional milk. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.