Pumpkin Gingerbread Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cheese Frosting

Somewhere in a land far, far away, the gingerbread man and jack-o-lantern battled for the spot of “best holiday ingredient.”  Weeks passed and neither side would surrender.  A truce was called and alliances were formed. In commemoration of the battle, the pumpkin gingerbread was created and enjoyed across the lands by peasants and kings alike.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. For loaves, lightly grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans. For cupcakes, line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a large mixing, combine sugar, oil and eggs; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin.
3. In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and baking powder, ginger, allspice cinnamon, and cloves.  Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean. For loaves, about 1 hour 15 minutes (check at one hour though!) and for cupcakes, about 30 minutes, check at 25 minutes though.