You don’t have to be a pumpkin spice lunatic to enjoy these gluten free pumpkin spice cupcakes. If you’re feeling for a homey, spiced pumpkin-y sponge, topped with frosting and candied pumpkin seeds, then - pumpkin spice fanatic or not - you’re going to have to make these!
Preheat the oven to 375°F, and then line a 12-count cupcake tin with cupcake papers.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and soda, spices, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Next, in another large bowl, whisk the melted vegan butter, brown sugar, soy milk, ground flaxseed, vanilla extract and pumpkin purée together until very smooth.
When the oven is preheated, combine the flour and spices into the wet ingredients, and then fold everything together until no dry flour remains.
Fill the cupcake wells ⅔ of the way full with pumpkin spice cupcake batter, and bake for 19 - 21 minutes, until firm to touch on the top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.Let the cupcakes cool for 30 minutes before frosting.
While the cupcakes are cooling, whip together all the frosting ingredient in a medium bowl. Add more vegan butter or powdered sugar or lemon juice to find the best pipe-able consistency for you. Pop this in the fridge until you're ready to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.Optional: if you'd like, add a couple drops of both red and yellow food die for a pumpkin-y orange!
Next, toast 2 tablespoons of pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds) in a skillet over medium heat for 3 - 5 minutes. Then, add the maple syrup and dashes of ground cinnamon and salt. Stir around in the skillet for another minute or two, and then let dry on a sheet of parchment paper.
Once your cupcakes are cooled, roll down the piping bag, place your preferred piping nozzle at the end, load the bag with frosting, and pipe a pattern of some kind on your cupcake. After that's done, top them with the candied pepitas!