Baking and Caking

I suppose when I am on a roll then I am really on a roll.  Yesterday it was 12 honey cakes and 48 Zucchini and Wheatgerm muffins.  I gave a couple of the cakes away and made another 8 today.
As well, I thought while all the flour and eggs are still on the counter, maybe I will try a new recipe for Pumpkin Cranberry Cupcakes.  It is lucky that I have a reasonable idea of balance even when it comes to baking otherwise I would have been up a creek with this recipe.  Fortunately, it turned out better than expected and quite yummy.  I guessed on the measurements and the time in the oven too.

One muffin or cupcake is similar to the other.  I don't have an actual calorie count or point count on this recipe.  I am guessing it doesn't compare to the store bought kind.  This is light and airy and any time you use more vegetable like pumpkin or zucchini or even banana or apple sauce, you are immediately lightening up the recipe.  Further to that, if you use tiny chocolate type liners in mini-cupcake tins that too has to be lighter.  Sure it has 1/2 cup of butter but it is spread over 48 cupcakes so how bad can that be?  I am guessing that each cupcake is worth 2 points.

It is so seasonal too with Rosh Hashana and Thanksgiving and Halloween coming up shortly.  One thing I learned was the pumpkin is truly something related the high holidays in Hebrew.

Here is today's recipe
Pumpkin Cranberry Cupcakes
18 large cupcakes - 350 F for 20-25 minutes
48 small cupcakes - 350 F for 15 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. powdered ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 or 1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups pumpkin puree (not pie mixture)
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
1   Preheat over to 350 and line a cupcake or muffin tin with paper liners. 

2   In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and powder, and spices;  set aside

3   In a separate bowl in an electric mixer, cream sugars and butter together until fluffy.  Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree, mixing until smooth and fold in cranberries.

4   Slowly add the dry ingredients in the pumpkin mixture and combine on medium setting.

5   Spoon batter into prepared cupcake liners.  Bake for 25 minutes if you are making big ones or around 15 minutes if they are small.  Just check to see your own oven as each one is slightly different.

6   I am not a frosting type so I sprinkled confectioners sugar on top with a sieve.

I think it is a perfect seasonal, holiday dessert.  I love them.