Pumpkin Cuffins

Well, it's officially October, which means I'm going to make pumpkin-flavored everything and refuse to feel even a little bit guilty about it! First up: Pumpkin Cuffins.

You know...not really cupcakes, not really muffins. Cuffins. You can also call them muffcakes, if you're feeling wildly inappropriate on this fine autumn day.

Okay, semantics aside - these are delicious! They're super soft and fluffy, and the sweet frosting perfectly complements the pumpkin and spices in the cake. I made mini versions of these cuffins for K's family last year (after an often-ridiculed attempt at chocolate chip cookies that turned out a little more crispy than anticipated), and was notified that "these cupcakes are a hit!" by her 6-year old niece. There truly is no higher praise.

Pumpkin Cuffins
Adapted from Hell Yeah It's Vegan

Makes 12 cuffins

1¼ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ coconut oil, melted
¼ cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp nutmeg
1½ cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons soy milk

Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a regular-sized muffin tin with paper liners. Grab a large mixing bowl and stir together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, soy milk, and vanilla until it's super smooth.

Super appetizing, yes?

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the spices (cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg), as well as the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly shake the dry ingredients into the bigger bowl, stirring just until everything is evenly incorporated.

Baaaaaatter up!

Use a big spoon to fill each muffin cup up almost to the top - the cuffins will rise a little bit while they bake, but I promise they won't explode into pumpkin bombs. Place the tin in the oven and bake for 23-25 minutes, until a toothpick stuck into the center of a sacrificial cuffin comes out clean.

There were originally 12 cuffins...

To make the frosting, just whisk together the powdered sugar, coconoit oil, and soy milk until it's nice and thick, then spread liberally over each little pumpkiny treat. Let your cuffins cool completely before you frost them, or you'll have a giant mess on your hands. Enjoy!