Pumpkin Squares or Cupcakes

Pumpkin squares are a special fall treat that I only bake once or twice a year.


I usually bake one cake in a 9” X 13” rectangular pan, slather it with cream cheese frosting, cut them into squares, dress them up with a cupcake liner and top them with a candy corn.  At least that's how I've made them for the last 25 years... this year, the squares will be taking on a new shape.

Yesterday my daughter Lindsey came home for the weekend and asked if we could make them into cupcakes.  I said, sure, I can’t see why not.  Cupcakes are the latest rage - so it seemed appropriate to keep up with the times and change things up.

The main purpose for this experiment was because Lindsey volunteered at her co-op house where she lives with 37 other college girls to be one of the birthday celebrators.  Little did she know when she took on this task, that she would be baking a boat load of cakes?  So… she got this idea to make cupcakes which would not only be less time consuming than cakes, but fun and cost effective.  One cake cuts into about (stretching it out) 24 pieces, whereas one batch of cake batter can easily make an assortment of 12 regular and 24 mini cupcakes.  With 37 girls in the house this was the perfect fix if she didn’t make one for herself.  Brilliant!  The birthday committee will be pleased as well as the birthday girls.

PUMPKIN SQUARES or Cupcakes

DRY MIX

2              cups                       flour

2              tsp.                        baking powder

1              tsp.                        baking soda

2              tsp.                        cinnamon

1/8         tsp.                        nutmeg

1              tsp.                        table salt

WET MIX

4              large                      eggs

1 2/3      cup                         sugar

1              cup                         oil

1              16oz.can              pumpkin puree (2 cups)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

4              oz.                          cream cheese, at room temp.

1              stick                       butter, at room temp. (½ cup)

1              tsp.                        vanilla extract

1 ¾         cup                         powdered sugar

Sift flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl; set aside.

Beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin together with an electric mixer; mix until blended and a little fluffy.

Add flour mixture one third at a time until well blended.

Pour into a 9” X 13” rectangle baking pan that has been sprayed with pan coating.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

FOR CUPCAKES – bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for…

Regular size – 20 – 25 min. (ours took 23 min.)

Mini size – 9 – 14 min. (ours took 10 min.)

or until a cake tester comes out clean.