Pumpkin & Maple Gingerbread Bundt

I've been wanting to make this for a long time! I found it on Cheeky Kitchen, a fun recipe blog by a friend of mine.

Finally I got to make it.
It wasn't as hard as it may look, and it's really good, especially if you love the taste of Gingerbread. Plus, the cream cheese frosting is THE BEST. EVER. So fluffy, and just so GOOD. I will save that recipe for everything else and make it my standard for everything cream cheese. Really. I'm sure you will too after trying it.

Pumpkin & Maple Gingerbread Bundt

You'll need two bowls to mix it up, but will marble it together before baking. I baked mine in a bundt pan. It's a lot of batter, so the bundt rises high. If you'd rather cook it in a 9x13 pan, feel welcome. It will work just beautifully.

In One Bowl, Mix:-----------------In Another Bowl, Mix:

3 eggs ----------------------------------3 eggs

1 c. pumpkin pie mix---------------------1 1/2 c. brown sugar

1 c. sugar----------------------------1/4 c. molasses

1/2 c. oil ------------------------------1/2 c. oil

1 T. cinnamon-----------------------------1 T. ginger

1/2 tsp. baking powder--------------------1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. milk----------------------------------1/2 c. milk

2 c. flour----------------------------------1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt----------------------------------1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla-------------------------------1 tsp. maple extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat all ingredients together. Pour each batter in rotating layers into a well greased & floured bundt pan, or a greased 9x13 pan. Run a knife through the layers to marble the batters together. Bake bundts for 52-55 minutes. Bake 9x13 pans for 32-35 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when touched. Frost warm cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream.

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Cream Cheese Buttercream

8 oz. cream cheese

1 lb. powdered sugar

1/4 c. milk

Beat all together with an electric mixer. Frost warm cake.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I don't think I could make these muffins fast enough for Daniel... for some reason, he just could eat these all day. Maybe because they're soft and fluffy or the perhaps it's the combination of the cream cheese topping with the pumpkin spices.

Whatever it is, they're definitely a make again!
Thanks to the girl who ate everything for introducing me (and Daniel) to this yummy fall delight!

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)

by The Pioneer Woman

Muffins:
1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1 heaping cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup golden raisins (optional!)

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture:

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until all incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins.

Fold gently until mixture is just combined. Pour into greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle generous amounts of cinnamon-sugar over the top of each unbaked muffin. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup softened butter

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 pound powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy!
Store in fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.