I had some pumpkin left after making my pumpkin soup recipe tonight so I decided to give pumpkin cupcakes a go.  Yummy!

Makes 12

160g Plain Flour

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

250g grated pumpkin

100g Light Brown sugar

60g caster sugar

75ml olive oil

2 large eggs

For the buttercream icing:

1. Preheat oven to 190 deg and line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
2. Combine the flour, allspice, baking powder, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl
3. Whisk together the grated pumpkin, sugar, olive oil and eggs in another bowl     
4. Pour the whisked mixture over the dry ingredients and stir using a spatula, until fully mixed
5. Dollop a spoonful of batter evenly into each baking cup in the cupcake tray until the batter runs out. Place the tray into the hot oven and bake for 18 minutes, remove and allow to cool.
   

   
6. Meanwhile make the buttercream, add the butter to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and peaky
7. Sieve the icing sugar to remove any lumps, then add a little at a time to the butter while whisking continually, until all the icing sugar has been added. If the mixture begins to become too thick, add the milk a teaspoon at a time to loosen it up until the desired texture has been reached, add in the vanilla essence and food colouring and mix until combined.                                                                             
8. Decant the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe into the cupcakes once cooled.
9. Devour!