Ingredients
16 Servings

Pumpkin Cupcakes

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon McCormick Cinnamon, Ground
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Nutmeg, Ground
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 cup canned pumpkin

Candy Corn Buttercream

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature pinch of salt
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 teaspoons Sunflower color from McCormick Nature's Inspiration Food Colors, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon Berry color from McCormick Nature's Inspiration Food Colors

Directions

1. For the Cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed 3 minutes. Add oil, hot water and pumpkin; beat until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended.
3. Spoon batter into 16 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
4. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out barely clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.
5. For the Buttercream, beat butter and salt in large bowl on medium-low speed until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar on low speed in small increments until all is added. Then beat on medium-high speed until blended. Add cream and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy.
6. Divide buttercream evenly into 3 bowls. For Sunflower Buttercream, stir 1 teaspoon of the Sunflower color into first bowl. For Pumpkin Buttercream, stir remaining 1 teaspoon Sunflower color and 1/4 teaspoon Berry color into second bowl. For White Buttercream, leave third bowl untinted.
7. Spoon the Sunflower Buttercream and Pumpkin Buttercream into 2 separate pastry bags each fitted with a round decorating tip. Spoon the White Buttercream into another pastry bag fitted with a star decorating tip.
8. To decorate the cupcakes, pipe one wide ring of Sunflower Buttercream on top of each cupcake. Pipe a smaller ring of Pumpkin Buttercream on top of the Sunflower Buttercream. Using the White Buttercream, pipe a star shape in the center of the Pumpkin Buttercream.