(the best) pumpkin spice cupcakes

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i bake things besides cupcakes, i swear. in fact, last weekend, i baked some banana bread. to be perfectly honest i'm not the biggest banana bread fan, so it doesn't get its own blog post. but let me tell you... these cupcakes are where its at. i was expecting them to be so-so. pumpkin has never been my ultimate favorite autumn treat ever. i don't rush out to starbucks for pumpkin spiced lattes, i don't eat pumpkin pie and when i carved pumpkins earlier this month, i had to battle my way through the smell. but these... oh my goodness, guys. it's probably the best recipe i've ever baked. when i tell you to bake them right now, i mean it.

it's my opinion that baking with oil instead of butter always lends to fluffier, smoother and lighter cake as a result. these are #1 in that department - they're super fluffy, not dense at all. the spices in the recipe - cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon - smelled super strong when i measured them out. i was worried it would be a bit much. nope, just enough. can i continue to tell you how perfect these are? i wish i could.

i doubled up on the frosting recipe and was liberal with my vanilla because i love it so. but other than that, i made it exactly as i found it on annie's eats.

for the cupcakes:

• 2 & 2/3 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 can or 15 ounces of pumpkin puree
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs

for the frosting:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons (or a pinch more) vanilla extract
• 3-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted (this amount is totally up to taste - i used 3 & 1/2)

preheat your oven to 350 degrees farenheit. line a cupcake pan with cute wrappers of your choice. in a large bowl, sift together your flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. set aside. in a second large bowl, add your sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and pumpkin puree and mix with an electric mixer until smooth and cream. add the eggs in one at a time, beating after each addition. add the flour mixture in a few additions until the mixture is just combined.

fill your cupcake papers a little over halfway full, and bake for 18-22 minutes. allow them to cool completely before frosting.

for the frosting, mix the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer until smooth. add the vanilla extract. gradually beat in the powdered sugar until the frosting is to the sweetness you desire. i used a wilton frosting bag & tip.