The trick to these treats is using a mini doughnut stacked on top of each cupcake to complete the pumpkin shape.
Ingredients
White Cake
3½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1¾ cups sugar
¼ cup butter
1½ Tbsp oil
2 egg whites
1⅔ cups milk
½ cup plain, fat-free yogurt
2½ tsp vanilla
Buttercream Frosting
3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp milk
Carrot juice or orange food coloring, to color
Pumpkin Cupcakes
24 cupcakes baked in orange paper cupcake liners
24 mini plain or chocolate-coated doughnuts
24 chocolate Tootsie rolls
Orange decorating sugar
Instructions
White Cake
Cream the butter, oil and sugar.
Add the egg whites and beat well.
Add the vanilla, milk and yogurt alternately with the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Pour the cake batter into cupcake tins lined with orange paper liners.
Bake the cupcakes for 15 minutes until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Buttercream Frosting
Mix the ingredients and beat for several minutes until a smooth, creamy frosting forms.
Add orange food coloring or carrot juice if desired. {Using food coloring will affect the consistency of the frosting so you can omit some of the milk or add more powdered sugar as needed.}
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Let the cupcakes baked in orange paper liners cool completely.
Ice the cupcakes with a thin layer of orange frosting.
Slice the bottom of each doughnut off and place one bottom down on each frosted cupcake.
Place the cupcakes in the freezer to allow the doughnuts to set for 10 minutes.
Pour the orange decorating sugar in a bowl.
Working with one cupcake at a time, spread orange frosting on the top and sides of the doughnut and cover the cupcake top to make it look like a pumpkin {or a squash}.
Gently roll the cupcake tops in the orange decorating sugar to completely coat them.
If the icing seems too runny, let the iced cupcakes rest for 1-2 minutes before rolling them in the sugar so that the frosting doesn't run or get gloppy.
Form the Tootsie rolls into stems and insert one into the top of each cupcake.
Recipe by Itsy Bitsy Foodies at http://itsybitsyfoodies.com/pumpkin-cupcakes/