Pumpkin Cupcakes - for Vegans and Their Friends....

I think this has been through a few adaptations, I found it on kirbyvonscrumptious.blogspot.com, but the original came from famed Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. This version works out well, the cupcakes are a little muffin-like (dense), not quite the airy cake texture you might expect, but they're very very tasty. With a topping of some simple icing (I flavoured my icing with maple extract), they make a fantastic fall treat. A few other frosting suggestions include the one in Canadian Maple Walnut Layer Cake With Fudge Frosting or the penuche from Nanny's Pumpkin Cookies With Maple Penuche Frosting. Even my children, who normally run screaming from anything made of pumpkin, enjoyed these. BTW, you could add some pumpkin pie spice to this if you have some on hand (1/2 tsp).

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1  cup  pureed pumpkin
• 1⁄3 cup  vegetable oil (I use canola or grapeseed)
• 2⁄3 cup granulated sugar (I use the organic evap cane juice sort)
• 1⁄3 cup light brown sugar (if you don't have, just use more of the above)
• 1⁄4 cup soymilk (plain or vanilla)
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄4 cups unbleached flour (I have used ww pastry flour with success)
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper cups.
2. Stir together the first 6 ingredients (from the pumpkin to vanilla).
3. In another bowl sift together the remaining ingredients.
4. Gradually incorporate the dry into the wet -- as with most vegan baking it is suggested you mix gently with a spoon or fork and not a mixer. Don't over mix.
5. Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 23-25 minutes - do a toothpick test - cupcakes should be firm to the touch.
6. Let cool and then top with a maple, vanilla or cream cheez frosting as you wish!